My Boys: The Final Stage
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: Edward and Bella finally found their way back though the darkness that nearly consummed them. Will they be prepared for the wildest ride yet? Canon couples, AH and MA for the usual. Third story in the My Boys series.
1. Chapter 1

**February 10th BPOV**

"Oh, god," I groaned, climbing off the bed and rushing into the bathroom for the third time this morning. Edward was right behind me, pulling my hair out of my face.

"It's ok, B," he murmured, rubbing my back.

I couldn't answer him seeing as I too busy emptying the very limited contents of my stomach into the toilet. Morning sickness had hit me hard and was kicking my ass. I kept telling myself our baby would be worth going through all of this and I believed it. That was the only thing getting me through mornings, afternoons, and evenings like this because whoever decided to call it morning sickness, had clearly never experienced it. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I leaned back.

"It's better," I muttered. "For now, anyway."

"Want some water?" he asked, helping me stand up. I nodded. "Ok, I'll be right back."

While I headed back into our bedroom, he turned toward the kitchen. I stretched out on the bed, pulling my night gown up and noticing the small baby bump already starting to form between my pelvis. I had just hit the seven week mark, and it way too early for me to be showing, but there sat the evidence. Sliding my hands down, I brushed my hands over the undeniable hard mass between my pelvis.

"Um, if you going to start touching yourself, I should at least get to watch," snickered Edward, coming back into our room with two bottles of water and a sleeve of saltines.

"Haha," I said, dryly. Edward handed me a bottle of water as he sat on the side of the bed.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, just tired and sore," I murmured, sipping on my water. Nothing was worse than gulping water down just to turn around and throw it all back up. I learned that lesson the hard way. "Do you see it?"

"I do," he admitted, laying his hand on my belly. "Think we should do an ultrasound?"

"Probably," I admitted, wearily.

"Baby, everything's going to be ok," he said, once again trying to reassure me.

"I know," I murmured. "We'll do it after, ok?"

"Deal," he smiled. "Now eat some crackers so we can go."

Even though we both knew it was pointless for me to eat them, I did. Edward tried everything he could to help me keep any type of food into my stomach. I had already lost so much weight between my father's death and now, that we were going to have to try very hard to put some back on and give our baby every chance we could. While I nibbled on my crackers, Edward leaned over and kissed my belly, whispering all sorts of things to the baby. I fell even deeper in love with him.

Once I was done with my crackers, and we were sure they were staying put for now, Edward and I took a shower together. All in an effort to conserve water, of course. Since it was still freezing outside, Edward and I dressed warmly, opting to wear jeans, long sleeve t-shirts and our boots. We pulled our coats, gloves, and hats on, before heading outside and down to the subway. Today we were heading over to see Tanya and Seth. I had been putting this visit off for the last week, unsure how I was going to explain to them that I had dreamed about their son but I knew I had to. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt them but I to tell them. I had promised both Aaron and Charlie that I would.

The subway lurched to a stop at our station and we climbed off, making our way up the steps to the street. Edward slipped his arm around my waist as we walked the three blocks up to Tanya and Seth's apartment building. We had been here right after the funeral, offering what little support we could at the time. There really was very little to offer parents when they lost a child but a shoulder to cry on.

The building was warm and we shrugged off our coats, gloves, and hats as we made our way up to the second floor. Tanya and Seth's apartment was at the end of the long hallway. Gathering my nerves, I knocked on the door. Edward slipped his hand into mine, giving me an encouraging squeeze. A moment later, Tanya opened the door to their apartment. Her hair was tangled and knotted. She had dark purple circles under her eyes.

"Bella?" she asked, looking from me to Edward. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you and Seth," I said, quietly.

"Now's not a good time," she muttered, shaking her head. She started to push the door closed and I stuck my hand out, stopping her.

"It's about Aaron," I whispered, thickly. Tanya froze as she turned and looked at me.

"What about him?" she asked, eyes filling with tears.

"I need to tell both you and Seth."

Tanya closed her eyes, allowing a tear to trickle down her face as she stepped aside and let us into her apartment. My nerves were on fire as we followed her into the living room. Tanya merely gestured to the sofa and walked out. Edward and I sat down but didn't speak. He kept his hand wrapped around mine, holding on as tightly as he could and giving me the strength to do this.

Looking around the living room, my heart broke at all the pictures of Aaron with his parents. From him being born, to being in the hospital with a bald little head while he went through treatments, at the park, the zoo, Disneyland. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes at the life that was taken too soon. Seth came in with Tanya a few minutes later. He didn't look any better than his wife did. His normally well kept dark hair looked greasy and dirty. It stuck up everywhere and he had bags under his eyes that mirrored Tanya's. My resolve to keep my promise to my father and Aaron was quickly fading as they sat on the sofa across from us.

"You said you needed to tell us something about Aaron," said Tanya. "What was it?"

"Um," I murmured, clearing my throat. "I don't really know how to start this. It's going to sound crazy." Seth and Tanya just stared at me, waiting for me to continue. "A few days ago, I, um, had this dream or whatever," I started.

"You came barging into our home because you had a dream?" asked Tanya, ireful.

"Please, just let me explain," I pleaded, holding my hands up.

"Go on," murmured Seth, slipping his arm around his wife. Tanya didn't say anything else, letting her body fall against her husbands.

"My father was..." I trailed off as the tears filled my eyes. "He was killed back in September and, um." I paused. "Well, he, um, came to see me in my dream. He told me that he was ok. While we were talking, Aaron came running up to me."

Tanya let out a sob soft, turning her face into Seth's chest and I could no longer stop the tears from falling down my face. "He told me that he was ok," I cried. Edward slipped his arm around my waist. "He said it didn't hurt anymore and that missed you both so much."

"Why are you doing this?" sobbed Tanya. "Do you think this is funny?"

"No, he made me promise to tell you that he's ok."

"Ok?" she screamed, pushing off of her husband. Her face was contorted in pain and anguish. "He's ok! He dead! He fucking dead, Bella!"

"I know," I muttered.

"Why are you here?" she wept. "Why?"

"Because I made him a promise," I sobbed.

Seth was just sitting there, eyes closed. "It was a dream, Bella," he muttered, dryly. "Your imagination and nothing more."

"It wasn't," I disagreed. "It was real."

"This is cruel," whispered Tanya, standing up and walking out of the room. Closing my eyes, I brought my hands to my face, weeping gently.

"She's not doing very good," said Seth. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Neither am I guess."

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

He nodded his head as he stood up. "Doesn't really help. You can show yourselves out."

Seth turned and walked out of the room. Sharing a look with Edward, we stood up and left, walking down the two flights of stairs and heading back outside. Edward slipped his arm around my waist as we climbed onto the subway and headed back toward our house. I wasn't sure Seth and Tanya would ever forgive me for adding onto their pain like I just did. Laying my head on Edward's shoulder, I sighed.

"Maybe I am crazy and it was just a dream," I murmured.

"We both know it was more than just a dream," he said, slipping his hand inside my coat and placing it over my belly. "Our baby is proof of that. Seth and Tanya will see that. They're just grieving right now."

"I made it worse for them," I sighed. "I should have waited."

"No, they needed to hear that Aaron is ok, even if they aren't ready to accept it," disagreed Edward. I leaned over and laid my head on his shoulder while he rubbed my belly through my shirt.

"Get a room," snapped an older woman moving down the train.

"Get a life," I smarted off. Edward laughed as she waved me off. "Crazy ass subway people."

"Oh, B, I love you," he laughed.

"I love you, too," I giggled.

The old, cranky woman glared at the two of us, acting like I was fucking him right in front of him. We ignored her and when the subway stopped at our stop, I really had to stop myself from flipping her the bird. Good thing, Edward had my hand in his or I probably would have. We made our way up to the street level and down to the hospital.

Since we still weren't ready to tell anyone about the baby, we had to be extra careful about who saw us and where they saw us in the hospital. Instead of heading in through the ambulance bay like we normally would, we headed to the front of the hospital and snuck through the cafeteria and into the ER. Silly perhaps, but we weren't ready to share this little tidbit of information yet.

We had just turned the corner toward exam room five when we saw Emmett and Jasper coming. I grabbed Edward's shirt and pulled him into the room behind us, slamming him against the wall. He started to laugh but I covered his mouth with my hand, trying to stop him from giving our position away.

"Give her a few hours and recheck her blood pressure," said Emmett, walking by. "If she's stable, I would let her go."

"I'll write up the order," agreed Jasper.

Once I was sure they were gone, I dropped my hand from Edward's mouth. "Baby, you have to be quiet or they are going to find us," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, but when you pull me into one of these rooms, I get a little excited," he snickered, turning us and pressing me against the wall. "Can't you feel what you do to me?"

"Yes, but we're on a mission," I giggled. "Focus, E."

"Fine, but later, we are going to come back to this room," he murmured, dropping down and suckling on the side of my neck.

"Ok," I gasped.

Edward nipped at my neck once more before pulling back and taking my hand in his. He cracked the door open, peeking out to see if anyone was coming before leading me out into the hallway. I giggled even harder as he pulled me into exam room five, and locked the door behind us. Winking at me, he swept me off my feet and laid me on the bed, brushing his lips against mine.

"Or maybe, we should just take this room," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You're going to get us caught," I snickered, pushing on his shoulder.

"Ok, I'll stop...for now," he sighed. "You ready for this?"

I shook my head. "Yes and no."

Leaning down and kissing me again, he whispered against my lips, "No matter what, B, you and me are in this together, right?"

"Right," I murmured, slipping my hand to the back of his head. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Edward kissed me once again before pulling back and heading over to the ultrasound machine. Neither of us may have been ob/gyns but we had been trained to use the machines and right now, we needed to do this together. At least this way, if there was a problem, we could deal with it privately. I sat up and stripped off my coat, dropping it on the floor before laying back down and pulling up my shirt. Edward settled on a stool next to me and squirted the gel onto my stomach.

"Fuck, that's cold," I muttered.

"Sorry," he chuckled.

"Are not," I murmured.

Edward turned on the machine and picked up the wand, pressing it down onto my belly. Turning the screen so that we both could see, he started moving it around my belly. The more he moved the wand, trying to get the right angle, the wider my eyes got. I may not have a lot of experience with this machine but I knew what I was seeing.

"Um, did I see that right?" I asked.

Edward pursed his lips together as he stilled the wand and looked up at me. "If you saw, what I saw, then yes, you saw that right," he said, nodding his head. Somehow, my eyes grew even wider. "B."

"Oh, holy fuck," I muttered, laying back down. "Triplets."

**Are we ready for a fun adventure? Let me just clarify right now that I have zero experience in the pregnancy and birthing process of triplets, but I have been doing an ass load of research. Thank you for reading and if you would be so kind, leave me a few words.**


	2. Chapter 2

**February 10th EPOV**

One heartbeat, two heartbeats, three heartbeats. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I opened them again and started to count them again. One heartbeat, two heartbeats, three heartbeat. Holy fucking shit, three babies.

"Can you stop saying that," muttered Bella. I blink rapidly as I looked from the tiny screen and up to my wife. "You're freaking me the fuck out."

"Sorry," I said, unsure of what else to say. "I just...Three babies."

"I know," she laughed, tearfully. Placing the ultrasound wand back on the machine, I stood up and leaned over to her, bringing my hand up to her face and wiping her tears off her face. "Triplets."

"Yeah, triplets," I whispered.

Bella threw her arms around my neck, pulling me down on top of her and holding me as she started sobbing. I knew my wife well enough to know that she wasn't upset, just scared as hell and excited, and probably a dozen or more emotions that she couldn't even explain. So was I. We had gone from losing our baby, and going through hell to find us again, to expecting three.

Suddenly, Bella started laughing. Pulling away from her, I smiled as she laughed harder, bringing her hand over her mouth. Hearing her laugh, really laugh like this was beautiful. It had been too long since my Bella just laughed. Grabbing my hand, Bella took a deep breath, trying to stop laughing, but struggled to do so.

"Charlie," she gasped, between rounds of giggles. "He said babies," more laughter, "but I didn't think about it until now."

"What?" I chuckled, laughing with her even though I had no idea what she was even talking about.

Trying to stop laughing, Bella threw her legs onto the side of bed and sat up. "In my dream. Charlie said that I had to take care of myself for the babies. As in more than one, E. I never expected three babies all at once."

"Somehow, I kind of think Charlie's laughing at us right now," I smiled, circling my arms around her waist.

"Me too," she giggled, leaning up and kissing me. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I murmured. "Let's go home."

Bella simply nodded her head, kissing me once again. Once I printed us a few pictures out, I shut down the ultrasound machine while she cleaned her stomach off, wiping away the sticky gel, and climbing off the bed. We shrugged out jackets back on. I unlocked the door, opening it just enough to check outside to see if anyone was out there. I couldn't see anyone so I opened the door further and pulled Bella out. We had barely managed to walk two steps when we heard someone clear their throat behind us. Freezing in mid-step, we both turned and found my father standing behind us, arms folded in front of him and a smirk playing on his lips.

"Dad," I muttered at the same time Bella said, "Carlisle."

"What's going on?" he asked, leaning against the wall next him, smirk still resting on his lips. I looked down at Bella, silently questioning her about what she was ready to tell. She bit her bottom lip, and shrugged her shoulders.

"We came by to check our schedules," she lied, turning so we could walk away.

"The lounge is in the other direction." Bella and I turned back to my father, who gestured to the room we just came out of. "And not in this room."

"Oh, right," she muttered, looking up at me with wide eyes. I smiled weakly, unsure about what she wanted me to say or do. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and looked back over at my father. "You're not going to drop this, are you?"

"No." His smile grew as he shook his head.

"Didn't think so," grumbled Bella. Shifting from one foot to the other, she reached down and placed her hand on her belly, meeting my father's eyes. "I'm pregnant."

The smile on Carlisle's face exploded as he started laughing. "I KNEW IT!"

"SHHHH," I hissed, looking around. Clutching Bella's hand in mine, I pulled her back into the room we had just left and grabbed my dad by the collar, pulling him in after us. I shut the door, looking back at him. "We aren't ready to tell anyone yet."

"Oh, sorry," he muttered, looking ashamed. "Is everything ok? Why were you in here? Are you cramping? Bleeding?"

Carlisle fired questions off faster than we were able to answer them and I could tell Bella was getting annoyed with him. Putting my hand up to stop him and try to calm her down, I explained. "Everything's fine, Dad. Bella and I noticed that she was already starting to show, even though it's way too early. We wanted to do an ultrasound, just to check everything."

"How far along are you?" he asked, turning to Bella.

"Seven weeks," she muttered, nibbling on her lip. Carlisle's eyebrows shot up.

"And you're already showing?" he asked, doubtfully. Bella sighed, taking her coat off and pulling her shirt up just enough to show my father the small, yet noticeable baby bump, or babies bump, as the care may be. "Oh."

"Yeah," she murmured, pulling her shirt down.

Carlisle hesitated, before asking, "And, um, what did the ultrasound show?"

"Um, well," I laughed, holding out the pictures to him. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Carlisle took the pictures from me, holding them up in front of his face so he could exam them. As he did, his eyes grew wider and wider. His mouth fell open and the same look of shock that I had to have been on my face, now sat on my father's. His arms dropped to his side and he looked from me to Bella, before laughing.

"Are you fucking serious?" he asked. "This isn't just some prank where you downloaded these just to play with my mind, is it? Because I'm too goddamn old for you two to be pranking!"

"We're not kidding, Dad," I chuckled. He glared at me. "Seriously, we're not. We're having triplets."

"Oh shit," he gasped, shaking his head as he looked from me to Bella and brought his hand up to his mouth. "Are you feeling ok, Bella?" he asked. "You should be sitting. The stress-"

"Carlisle, don't," snapped Bella, stomping her foot. "I'm pregnant, not invalid and I don't need to sit down!"

My father's eyes widened more with each word that Bella spoke. Feeling bad for the man, I placed my hand on the small of her back and stepped between them, stopping her from beating the shit out of him. You would think a man who had been through three pregnancies with his own wife, and worked in several hospitals, and was married to an ob/gyn, would know better than to treat a pregnant woman like this, but he apparently did not.

"B, he was just trying to be helpful," I murmured.

Bella took a deep breath, placing her hands on her belly. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. I don't know what came over me."

"I was stupid," he said, simply.

The corners of Bella's lips twitched as she struggled not to completely burst out laughing at my father. "No, I'm a bitch," she said, giggling. Or it started as a giggle but evolved into full out sobbing. Carlisle shifted from one foot to the other as I slipped my arm further around Bella's waist and pulled her into my arms, letting her cry into my shirt. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, hiccuping. "I'm ok." Another hiccup. "Just tired and scared and tired."

"You mentioned tired," he muttered. Bella lifted her head and glared at him. "I mean, of course, you're tired. You're carrying three babies." He smiled weakly. "You look pretty today."

Bella started laughing. "Oh, Carlisle, you're funny," she mused. Sighing, she covered her belly with her hands. "Three babies."

"Yeah," he smiled. "So when were you planning on telling everyone?"

"Not until we were a bit further along," I said, leaning over and kissing the side of Bella's head, eliciting a sigh. "You know, till we feel it's safe."

Carlisle nodded. "You're mother is going to kick my ass if she finds out that I knew before her."

"Are you going to tell her?" asked Bella.

My father shook his head. "No," he replied. "It's not my business to tell, it's yours. When you and Edward are ready, I'll just pretend that I didn't know."

"Thanks, Dad," I said, sincerely. "After last time-"

"No need to explain," he smiled, interrupting me. "I'm just really happy for you two. Or you five actually."

"God, we're going to be a family of five," gasped Bella, smiling. "Wow."

"Yeah, wow about sums it up," laughed Carlisle, heading over to the door. "I had better get back to work before someone comes looking for me. Go home and rest, Bella," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," she smirked, saluting him.

Carlisle laughed, throwing open the door and walking out. He quickly reached back and pulled the door shut behind him. I was confused until I heard the voices coming through the door. "Hello, Honey," he said.

"Carlisle, Darling, are you ok?" asked Esme. Bella snapped her eyes up to me, panic oozing out of them. "You looked flushed."

"I'm fine," he chuckled, nervously. "Um, just really busy today, you know, and, wow, you look beautiful."

Bella turned and buried her face into my chest, laughing so hard she could barely stand. My father needed to learn a thing or two about being graceful under pressure. "Oh, well, thanks," replied Esme. "I guess I should head back upstairs. Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, you bet, sure are," Carlisle agreed, quickly. I was sure he was nodding his head like a maniac.

"Ok, good," laughed Esme.

A moment later, my father pushed open the door and glared at us. "You both owe me so much."

"We do," giggled Bella.

Carlisle muttered something about this being harder than he thought it would be as he walked away, letting the door close again. Bella shook her head and pulled her coat back on. Slipping her hand back into mine, she leaned up and kissed me.

"Let's go home," she murmured.

"Home," I whispered.

Bella and I managed to sneak out of the hospital without anyone else seeing us, although it was close. Just before we got to the cafeteria, we heard Rose and Alice laugh. Bella grabbed me by the shirt again and shoved me into the closest room, which happened to be the ladies room. Everything would have been ok, except apparently, Rose and Alice both needed to use it. We ran into the large, handicap stall and stood on the side of the toilet, while they giggled and took care of business. I may never be able to look at each of them in the face ever again.

Finally, they left and Bella and I quickly made our escape before we had any other close calls. I wrapped my arm around her as we walked the three blocks up to our apartment and headed inside. Bella went to lay down while I headed into the kitchen to make us some lunch. I had just finished making some chicken noodle soup when my cell phone chimed, alerting me to a new text message. Digging my phone out of my pocket, I flipped it open and started laughing.

**Edward, I called in a script for Bella to the pharmacy around the corner from you for some pre-natal vitamins. Make sure you pick them up and start her on them. My grandbabies are going to need them. Love, Dad**

Shaking my head, I replied back that I was on it, and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Tucking the sleeve of crackers under my arm, I picked up both bowls of soup and headed into our bedroom. Bella was sprawled out, wearing only her t-shirt, which had been pulled up so she could lay her hands on our babies.

"My father has informed me that he called you in a script for some vitamins," I laughed, setting the soup on my night table and dropping the crackers on the bed. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I set it down and climbed onto the bed next to her, kicking my shoes off. Leaning over, I placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Hi."

"Hi," she whispered, bringing her hand up to my face. "Your dad's a little excited."

"Oh, he's a lot excited," I chuckled, leaning into her hand. "So am I."

"Yeah?" asked Bella. I nodded. "I'm kind of scared."

"Why?" I wondered.

"Three babies, E," she sighed, shaking her head. "Even if the pregnancy goes smoothly, we're having three babies all at once."

"We can handle them." I smiled, turning and kissing the palm of her hand. "We can handle anything as long as we are together."

"You really think so?" she asked, lips trembling as tears spilled down her face.

Reaching up, I wiped the tears away. "Baby, we survived ten years apart, a crazy madman, suffered losses that not many people would ever have to deal with, and we're still here. I love you more and more everyday." Pausing, I felt my eyes burn with unfallen tears. "I love our babies already."

"I do, too," she wept, curving her hand to the back of my head and pulling me down to her so that my forehead was pressed against hers. "This feels like a dream. Like I am going to wake up and find that none of this is really happening."

"It's happening, Baby," I smiled, kissing her tears away. "Finally."

"E," she whispered.

"What?" I murmured.

"I'm really hungry," she said, sheepishly. I laughed as I sat up and picked up her bowl of soup, handing it to her once she had sat up. "This smells so good."

"Eat up before it gets cold."

Bella smiled lifting her spoon up and taking a bit, moaning around her spoon. Watching her, smile and laugh, seeing her happy and glowing, made my heart soar. After Bella ate, she laid down and fell asleep. Me, I shrugged on my coat and headed down to pick up her vitamins. No matter how hard everything got, I would make sure that Bella and our babies would be ok.

**Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews to the first chapter. It was cute to see how many people were shocked by the triplets;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**February 20th BPOV**

"Dr. Swan," came the most annoying voice I'd ever heard. "Dr. Swan."

"What?" I hissed, snapping my eyes open and looking back at Cathy. She stepped back, eyes popping open. Couldn't a woman close her eyes for two seconds anymore?

"You were snoring," she muttered. Ducking my eyes away, I sighed. Standing at the nurse's station, barely able to keep my eyes open, and all I did was snap at everyone. I'm such a bitch.

"Cathy, Mrs. Richards is ready to be discharged out of curtain area four," Carlisle came up behind us, placing his hand on my shoulder. She nodded, before walking past us. Closing my eyes again, I stifled a yawn, barely halfway through my shift. "You should be home, resting."

"Can't," I yawned again. "Shift's not over yet."

"Bella," he sighed. I looked over at him, frowning. "You're exhausted. Crap, you just fell asleep while writing in your chart!"

Looking down, I noticed that my pen had slid off my paper, leaving a squiggly line to through the middle of my page. "Oh," I shook my head, turning to him, "Sorry."

"For the love of..." he trailed off, taking a deep breath as he looked around to see if anyone could hear him, they couldn't. "You are pregnant with triplets, sweetheart, you have to take it easy."

"I know how many babies are inside of me," I hissed, slamming my chart closed, throwing it on the counter. Carlisle's eyes flew open. "I don't need you to remind me."

Spinning on my heel, I left him standing there, marching my way down the hallway to the cafeteria. Glaring at the hot, steamy coffee, I grabbed a bottle of orange juice, tossed the cashier some money, and found a seat in the back, propping my feet up on one of the other chairs, and leaned back, letting my hand rest on my ever growing tummy. At nine weeks, and with quite the babies bump, I knew we would have to tell everyone soon. I still couldn't wrap my head around the idea that we were having three babies. I mean, fuck, three babies.

Edward got more and more excited as each day passed by. I did, too, but I was also scared to death. Not just because we would have to try to figure out how to raise three babies, but I couldn't stop worrying that I would lose one of them. Just thinking about it made my heart ache. There would be no way I'd be able to survive losing another child.

"B." I startled, jumping in my seat, before turning and glaring at the man standing behind me. Emmett laughed, taking the seat across from me, tray full of food. My stomach rolled at the thought of watching him down a cheeseburger, a slice of pizza, and a salad. The only thing on his tray that looked half-way decent was the chocolate cake. "B," he repeated.

"What?" I asked, shifting my eyes from his food up to him.

"What the fuck is with you?" he snorted, gripping his burger with both hands. "You're spacing out like crazy."

"Oh, I don't know," I muttered, shrugging my shoulder, looking down at his cake. "Is there still cake over there?"

"No, last piece," he smiled. My shoulders dropped, disappointment washed over me. Tears burned my eyes "Are...are you crying?"

"No," I sniffed, trying to blink them back, but failing. Okay, so I lied, but damn it, I really wanted some cake.

"Looks like you're crying," he spoke each word slow and deliberate.

"I'm fine," I cried, hiccuping. "Just...p...per...perfect."

With a look of horror on his face, he picked up his cake, sliding it across the table to me, along with his spoon. Smiling, weakly, I pulled the plastic wrap off the cake, scooping a large spoonful, moaning as the chocolate coated my tongue. "Fuck," I gasped, scooping another big bite, "this is so fucking good."

"Yeah, it looked good," he grimaced. "Um, you have some on the corner of your mouth."

"Thanks," I laughed, grabbing a napkin and wiping it off. "So, you been busy today?"

"Not too bad." He sat back, watching me like I had three heads. I rolled my eyes, finishing the cake off. Perhaps, I was being a tad bit irrational, but, dammit, I really wanted a piece of cake. Nobody said he had to be a pig and take the last piece. Shaking my head, I snorted, glaring at him. "Why are you glaring at me?"

Shaking my head, I stood up, pushing the empty plate at him with a huff, "You know, all I wanted was a piece of cake and you have to make a big goddamn deal out it. Well, you know, what? I'm sorry."

Leaving him sitting here, pizza in one hand, mouth hanging open, I walked out of the cafeteria and back into the emergency room. Edward stood at the nurse's desk, leaning down on one elbow, scrubs hanging loosely on his hips. Biting on my lip, I walked over, slipping my arms around his waist. I felt his sigh, I smiled. "Hey, baby," I purred. "Working hard?"

"I was, but now I can't seem to focus on anything but you," he laughed, turning in my arms. Leaning down, he kissed me, before moving his lips to my ear. "Are you feeling okay?"

I smiled, knowing how much he worried about the four of us, "I'm tired," I replied, honestly. "And, um, I might have stolen Em's chocolate cake."

Edward pulled back, smiling wider than I had seen him smile in a long time. "You took cake from Em, and you still have both your hands?"

"Yep," I beamed. "I might have cried."

"You little vixen," he snickered, leaning down and kissing me again. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me forever?" I hoped.

"Done," he murmured.

Carlisle walked past us, clearing his throat, silently reminding us that we were in fact at work. Blushing, I scrambled into the lounge with my stack of charts, determined to get them done before we headed back home for the day. I settled at the table, adjusting the waist band of my scrubs. I would need to get bigger ones very soon. We'd definitely need to tell everyone sooner rather than later. Emmett came into the lounge with Jasper, stopping short when he saw me at the table. Ducking his eyes from mine, he scrambled over to his locker, grabbed whatever he was looking for, and left, leaving Jasper standing there looking confused.

Turning to me, he asked, "Did you kick him in the nuts or something?"

"No," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "He's just being a baby."

"Um, okay," he chuckled, sitting at the table across from me. I started working on my charts, trying my hardest to ignore the loud, irritating sighs coming from Jasper. When he started tapping his nails on the table, I snapped my head up, glaring the ever loving fuck out of his head. I swear, he flinched.

"What do you want?" I hissed. "I'm trying to work here. Don't you need to work? There's probably someone out there right now dying, all because you are in here, crawling up my ass!"

Jasper stared at me. "I'm sorry, I needed to talk to you."

"Oh," I smiled, closing my chart. "What about?"

"Um," he shifted in his seat, "well, Ali and I are thinking about heading up to that little bed and breakfast we went to last year, and we wanted to know it you and E wanted to go with us."

I leaned back in my seat, but quickly pushed back forward, not wanting him to see my bump. "When?" I asked, waving my hand.

"Middle of March." He nodded, placing his elbow on the table. "About four weeks or so from now."

I brought my hand up to my lips, mentally adding up the weeks. I would be thirteen weeks then, but would it be safe to travel? I didn't know, everything would be so different with this pregnancy than with a normal pregnancy. I mean, shit, I was already showing, my emotions were all out of whack, and I could barely make it through half my shift before I was ready for a nap. Smiling behind my hand, I thought about how nice it would be to be curled up in my bed right now, wearing nothing but one of Edward's t-shirts, hands resting on my belly, blanket pulled up over my body. Perhaps, Edward could be laying down next to me, covering my hands with his, holding all four of us.

"B?" Jasper snapped his fingers in my face. I flinched back, startled by the action. "Are you okay? You zoned out."

"I'm fine," I muttered, waving him off.

"Okay," clearly not believing me, "what do you think about the trip? Em and Ro are coming."

"What trip?" I asked, shaking my head.

"What the fuck is going on with you, B?" he grumbled, falling back in his seat. "The trip to Vermont? With me and Ali? I just asked you about it like two minutes ago."

"I'm not stupid," I snapped, "I forgot."

"You forgot?" he sputtered, shaking his head. "Two minutes ago, B. Two minutes."

Tears burned my eyes, my lip trembled. Jasper's eyes fly open and he reached for my hand, but I move it before he could touch me. "I'm sorry, J," I sobbed. "I forgot. I'm sorry I'm not perfect like you, or Ali. I just forgot."

"It's okay," he soothed, fiddling with his fingers. "I'm an ass?"

"You really are," I whimpered. "I'll talk to E about the trip, but I don't know. If you are going to be so sensitive all the time."

"Yeah, I'm the sensitive one," he snorted, standing up. However, I started crying even harder. "Fuck, B!"

"Just go," I wailed, dropping my head onto the table. "Leave me alone!"

Jasper scrambled out of the room, muttering a quick apology on his way, letting the door smack him on the ass on the way out. I tucked my arms around myself, letting my tears dry up on their own. Yawning widely, I sighed as I drifted off to sleep on top of the stack of charts I needed to be working on, and dreaming of chocolate cake.

"B," whispered Edward, shaking my shoulders. "B, wake up, love."

"Sleepy," I muttered.

He chuckled, "I know you're sleepy, baby, but it's time to go home."

Opening my eyes, I found him kneeling next to me, sexy smile covering his face. Behind him, Carlisle pulled on his coat, smile tugging on the corners of his lips. Next to him-Emmett and Jasper stood watching to see if I lost it with Edward, I'm sure. However, I could never lose it with him, I loved him too much.

"Hi," I murmured.

"Hi," he chuckled, again. "You fell asleep."

"I did." I sat up, ignoring Carlisle as he laughed. "Hmm, I was tired."

"Apparently," snorted Carlisle, shutting his locker. I glared at him. "I told you to go home, but you are stubborn."

"He told you to go home, and you ignore him," scolded Edward. His traitorous father gloated.

"I had work to do," I grumbled.

He huffed, looking back at his father. "You should have told me," he muttered. The smile dropped off of Carlisle's face. Shifting his gaze to his brothers for a split second, "We'll talk about this later, right now, I'm taking my wife home."

Placing his arm on my back, he helped me stand up, without making it obvious that's what he was doing. Carlisle huffed, stalking over to the door. I felt bad for him, he'd only tried to help. "Carlisle," I called. He stopped, looking back at him. "I love you."

Shaking his head, he smiled, "I love you, too, sweetheart. Even when you are being a brat."

Emmett and Jasper, expecting me to let my fury out on him, smirked, folding their arms across their chests. However, instead of crying like I had with them, I burst out laughing, rushing across the room, wrapping my arms around my father-in-law. Behind us, I heard them both mutter about me being crazy, however, I didn't care. Carlisle had my back, and I would owe him forever for it.

"Thank you," I murmured. "I'll listen better."

"That's all I ask," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. "Now, go rest."

"I will," I promised, leaning up and kissing his cheek. Laughing to himself, he walked out of the lounge. Looking back, I saw Emmett and Jasper still staring at me. "What you are you staring at?"

"Nothing," sighed Em, shaking his head, shutting his locker. "See you two later."

"Bye," I smiled.

He and Jasper shared a look before walking out, grumbling about me being mean. Edward seemed to think it was funny, seeing as he burst out laughing, holding my coat up for me. "Come on, baby, let's go home."

Edward and I made it back to our apartment, snuggling closely to fight off the bitter cold weather. Once inside, he insisted that I go lay down while he made us some dinner. Instead of fighting him, I did what he asked. I walker into our room, stripping off my clothes, pulling on one of his grey t-shirts, and climbed into bed, nestling down into the blankets. With a soft sigh, I relaxed.

My darling husband came in a few minutes later, carrying a tray with two turkey sandwiches, two bowls of fruit salad, and a plate with carrots and celery. Next to all of those, were two slices of chocolate cake. I smiled as I sat up, tucking my legs under me. Setting the tray on the bed, he quickly stripped off his scrubs, pulling on just a pair of cotton shorts. Nibbling on my lip, I eyed his naked chest.

"My eyes are up here," he chuckled, climbing on the bed next to me. I blushed, looking away. "Hey, look at me." Shifting my gaze back to him, I felt my breath catch in my chest. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," I breathed.

"Me too," he smiled.

Edward and I ate in bed, savoring each flavor as it melted in our mouths. It wasn't until the cake, though, that I felt the tears start building in my eyes again. It was just so good. Edward cleared away our dirty dishes, and laid back on our pillows, holding me against his chest. He flipped through the channels on the television, while I slipped my arm around his waist, drifting back to sleep. I was home.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Okay, I have to be honest, I enjoyed Bella torturing the crap out of Em and J with the tears and irrational behavior. I mean, it was really, really fun, and I giggled. A LOT! Anyway, any guesses on who's going to find out first, Esme or Rose and Alice?**


	4. Chapter 4

**February 21st EPOV**

I sat on the edge our bed, watching my wife dry herself off after her shower. I'd never get tired of looking at her; long slender legs, perky full breasts, babies bump poking out between her hips. Looking over her shoulder, she caught me staring, blushing a deep red that only she could make look so beautiful. I should have felt embarrassed for getting caught, but I didn't. Bella belonged to me, only me, and I belonged to her, just her. Always have, always would.

Ignoring the way I watched her, Bella tossed her towel into the hamper, slipping on a pair of white cotton panties. They slipped down under her babies bump, and I smiled. So beautiful. She pulled on a cotton bra, stuffing her swollen breasts into the cups. They spilled over, and I bit back my moan. God, sexy wasn't a strong enough word to describe her.

"I'm starting to get a complex," she laughed, pulling on a long sleeve black t-shirt. Hugging her growing belly, the shirt did nothing to hide the fact that we were expecting. I loved it.

"Sorry," I murmured, tying my shoe, and standing up. "Are you sure you want to do this today?"

"We're kind of running out of time," she smiled, placing her hands on her growing belly. "Can't exactly hide these three for much longer, can we?"

I shook my head, "But if you're not ready," I started.

"I may never be ready," she admitted. "E, I hope and pray everyday that our babies will be perfect, but we both know the risks involved with carrying triplets means we're looking at a long road. I need my mom. I don't want her to be the last to find out, it would crush her."

Nodding, I leaned down and kissed her, "Then we'll tell her."

Once Bella finished dressing, we slipped on our coats and braved the cold, February weather, making our way down to the subway. Laying her hand on my shoulder, Bella's hands rested on her abdomen. I loved the way she held our babies. I reached over, placing my hand over hers, needing to feel my family. Weaving her fingers in with mine, Bella looked up, pressing her lips against mine.

"Get a fucking room." Breaking apart, we saw a little old woman, easily almost eighty glaring at the two of us.

"Mind your fucking business," snarked Bella, matching her glare. I tightened my arms around her, trying to calm her down. We ignored the old woman and her nasty glares, having learned a long time ago that some people just complained about everything.

The subway screeched to a stop, and we climbed off, heading up to the street. I slipped my arm around my wife, holding her as close as I could, trying to keep her warm while we headed up the block to Renee's dance studio. We walked in, smiling at the handful of mothers waiting in the lobby for their children. We hung up our jackets and headed into the studio, finding Renee standing at the bar with five little girls who couldn't have been much older than three. All of them were dressed in pink tights, black leotards, and pink ballet slippers.  
>"Front," instructed Renee, placing her foot in front of her, pressing up on her toe. All the little girls followed her example. "Good. To the side," she went on, moving her foot to her right, which they followed.<p>

At least until the little red headed girl in the back looked over and saw us standing there. She started giggling. "Miss Renee, who's that?" she whispered, but speaking louder than she realized.

Renee smiled, looking over at us. "That's my daughter, Bella, and her husband, Edward," explained Renee, pulling her feet back together. "We're going to leave a few minutes early today, girls. I'm so proud of you. All of you worked so hard, I think you deserve a heart."

All five girls started cheering, rushing over to Renee's small work table, lining up in a straight line. She followed them over, grabbing her red heart stamp, and placing one on each of the girls hands. Once they had their hearts, they headed out to the lobby, and to where their mothers were waiting for them. Renee motioned that she'd be right back, grabbing a stack of papers and following them out.

Bella smiled, crossing the room and holding onto the bar, turning her feet out. We'd practically been raised in a studio. She brought her hand up over her head, sliding her foot out into first position. I leaned against the wall, watching her move. Everything about her was amazing and spectacular.

"Remember our recital?" smirked Bella, looking over at me. "We were, what? Four?"

"Just turned five," I laughed. "The last year Esme forced me to take dance with you."

"Force?" scoffed Bella, leaning against the bars. "She didn't have to force you, E, you loved it."

"I loved being with you enough to take those lessons," I confessed. Blushing, she looked down at her feet. "You and I danced together to Baa Baa Black Sheep. You were dressed in all white, and I wore black."

"You remember that?" she giggled.

"I remember every moment I've spent with you, B."

Renee came shuffling back in, looking fluttered. "Sorry, I needed to get the order forms to their moms for the spring recital so I can get their costumes ordered. Sometimes, I wonder why I spend do all of this."

"Because you love it," teased Bella, laughing. "You love watching them on stage."

"I do," admitted Renee, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, what brings you two by?"

"Can't a girl just come visit her mom?" Bella shrugged, looking around.

"I suppose, but you usually don't. At least not while I am at work," pressed Renee, raising an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

Nodding her head, Bella brought her hand up to her lips, her tender emotions already getting the best of her. Pushing away from the wall, I rushed over, slipping my arms around her, holding her tight. "Mom," whimpered Bella, pulling our joined hands down over her belly. "I'm pregnant."

Taking a deep breath, Renee's hands flew up to her mouth, and she blinked several times. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes," wept Bella, pulling herself out of my arms and crossing the room. Grabbing her mother's hands, she pulled them down to her belly.

Renee gasped, "How far along are you?"

"Nine weeks," sniffed Bella, watching her mother's eyes fly open. "We're having triplets."

Renee looked over her shoulder at me, eyes flying open. I nodded my head in confirmation, pulling the ultrasound picture out of my wallet and holding it out to her. She crossed the room, taking it with a shaky hand, and peering down at it, one hand covering her lips. Bella came over, placing her hand on Renee's shoulder, giving her mother time to absorb the news.

"Wow," murmured Renee, looking up at Bella, huge smile covering her lips. "You don't do anything half-assed, do you?"

"That would be too easy," laughed Bella, dropping her hands down to her belly. "I think dad knew."

"What?" Renee turned, facing Bella. "What are you talking about?"

"Dad came to me a few weeks ago in a dream, and..." Bella trailed off, taking a deep breath. Knowing how difficult talking about Charlie was for Bella, I moved over, slipping my arms around her, holding her tight. "He told me that he's okay, and he's taking care of our baby, our son."

"I'm sure he is," murmured Renee, wiping a tear off her cheek. "He told you about the babies?"

"Well, dad being dad, he told me I had to start taking care of myself for the babies. He made me promise. When I woke up, it hit me that I was late, so I took a test, and well, it came out positive."

"You've known for a few weeks, and you didn't tell me?" scolded Renee, frowning.

"I need some time to make sure that the babies were okay," explained Bella. "Mom, I'm so scared."

"Oh, Sweetheart," she sighed, bringing her hand up to my wife's face, "I know, but it's going to be okay."

"I'm trying to believe that, but after last time...Well, it's hard." Bella started laughing, "I've gotta go pee."

Slipping out of my arms, she headed out to the restrooms, a huge smile spread over her face. Renee turned back to me. "How's she really doing?"

"Okay," I admitted. "She's emotional, and tired. I've been trying to get her to rest as much as possible, but you know how she is."

"I do," snickered Renee, patting my shoulder. "And how are you?"

Blinking back the tears, I inhaled a shaky breath. "Pretty scared. B's my life, Renee, and our babies..." I ran my hand through my hair. "I'm trying to be strong for her, but..."

"But you're going through a lot, too, Edward," she finished for me. "Sweetheart, you can't let your feeling get pushed back behind hers. I know she's the one who will be carrying those babies, but you both need to let us do what we can to make this easier on both of you."

"I feel better now," laughed Bella, coming back into the studio. Renee grinned, turning to her.

"Oh, just wait," snickered Renee, placing her hand back on Bella's belly. "A few more months and you'll swear you live in the bathroom."

"Great," groaned Bella, but her eyes sparkled with joy. "Anyway, your next class in waiting so we should get going, but, um, maybe we can get dinner soon. I've missed you, Mom."

"Dinner sounds great," murmured Renee, hugging her. "I'm so happy for you, Honey. I know Daddy is, too."

"I love you, Mom," she whispered.

"I love you, too."

Bella and I headed back out into the lobby, pulling on our coats while Renee welcomed her next class of little girls, most of them around the age of four or five. We headed back down to the subway, riding in silence back to the stop close to our apartment. By the time we got back to our apartment, Bella had yawned a dozen times. I sent her straight to bed for a nap. Yawning again, she didn't fight me, which just proved how tired she really felt.

I settled in the living room, flipping on the television, but not really paying much attention to what was on. Pulling out my laptop, I started searching for everything we'd need with three babies. Not including the clothes, it would cost us a fortune just to buy furniture for the babies. Of course, we'd have to figure out where to put them. Our guest room would be okay at first, but sooner, rather than later, we'd have to find a bigger apartment or make some tough decisions.

"E, open the door," bellowed Emmett, banging on the door.

Cursing, I rushed over, pulling it open. "Shut the fuck up," I hissed, looking back at our bedroom. "B's sleeping."

"Oh, shit, sorry," muttered Emmett, stepping inside. "She's been tired a lot."

"Yeah," I mumbled, shutting the door. "Working hard, and everything."

Pushing past Emmett, I shut the door to our bedroom, trying to be quiet. When I turned back, Emmett was sitting on the couch, staring at my laptop, which I had neglected to shut. On the screen were pictures of baby cribs. I walked over, shutting it. "So what's up?"

"You tell me," he smirked, leaning back and folding his arms in front of him.

"Nothing, just enjoying our day off." I shrugged my shoulders, sitting on the couch. "Don't get many off together, you know?"

"Yeah, but I've noticed that you and B have been working every shift together," he pointed out. "And getting all the same days off."

"Have we?" I lied. Carlisle had made the point of making sure that we were together, trying to make it easier on us. "Guess I hadn't really noticed." I stood up. "Can I get you a drink?"

"E, stop," laughed Emmett, standing up and placing his hand on my shoulder. I sighed, looking down at my feet. "Why were you looking at baby furniture?"

"Because I'm pregnant," came Bella from behind us. Closing my eyes for a moment, I turned, finding her leaning against the door frame to our bedroom. "With triplets."

"Get the fuck out of here," snorted Emmett, shaking his head. "What's really going on?"

"She's pregnant with triplets," I insisted, picking up the ultrasound pictures from the counter in the kitchen and handing them to him.

Emmett rolled his eyes, lifting them up in front of his face. Slowly, his eyes widened, he flipped through one picture after another. Taking a deep breath, he let his arm drop down, shifting his eyes over to Bella, who stood with her hands covering her growing belly. "Oh, shit," he gasped, running his hand through his hair. "Three babies?"

"Yep," I smiled, placing my hand on his shoulder. "We couldn't believe it either."

"Yeah, E counted their heartbeats like ten times, repeating over and over that we were having triplets," giggled Bella, walking over to us. She grabbed Emmett's hand. "Em, breathe."

"Oh, fuck, B, you got three babies inside of you," he panicked, pulling her into his arms, squeezing her.

"EM," she cried out, pushing on his shoulder. He released her, I grabbed her, shifting her into my arms.

"Baby, are you okay?" I fretted.

"Yeah," she murmured, placing one hand on my shoulder, and one on her belly. "I'm fine. I'm going to get some water, you want one?"

I shook my head. "I'm good."

Bella nodded, looking over at Emmett. "No, thanks," he muttered. Turning, she walked into the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of water from the fridge. "B, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Em," she insisted, waving him off. "Just have to be careful."

"How far along are you?" He followed her over to the couch, sitting down next to her.

"Nine weeks," she replied, smiling. "Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Yeah," he snorted, "I mean, wow, triplets. Not everyday."

"No, it's not," I agreed, sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

"This explains so much," he laughed, shaking his head.

Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what?"

"Um, the fit you threw over cake, the way you've been crying all the time, falling asleep in the middle of your shift. I figured you were just on your period."

"Em!" exclaimed Bella, laughing. "Have I really been that bad?"

"Yes!" He fell back on the couch. "But you have a great excuse now, B."

"Oh, gee, thanks," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"How long have you known?" he questioned.

"A few weeks," I answered, taking Bella's hand in mine, but looking at my brother. "We didn't want to tell anyone until we knew everything would be okay."

Emmett nodded, "Makes sense."

Bella turned, facing him, "Em, don't tell them yet, okay? We want to tell everyone, but it's so new and..."

"You have my word, B," promised Emmett, placing his hand over our joined hands. "I'm happy for you both. You deserve all three of these babies. You know, driving you crazy all night crying, spitting up on everything. Oh, and all the diapers," he teased. Bella laughed, pulling her hand out from under his, swatting his shoulder. "You're going to go through a shit storm of diapers...literally."

"Whatever, Uncle Em," snickered Bella, laying her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, though. I promise we'll tell them soon, okay?"

"When you're ready," he murmured, turning and kissing the top of her head. "I better go. Ro will be home soon, and I've got to get my game face on."

"Why are you even here?" laughed Bella, shaking her head.

"Oh," he snorted, standing up and pulling a brochure out of his back pocket. "J said he talked to you about the trip to Vermont, but wanted you to see the place for yourselves. Anyway, I was bored out of my fucking mind so I thought I'd drop it off," he explained, handing Bella the brochure. "Seems pretty fucking dull, but he and Ali swear it's like all romantic and shit."

"Um, is someone going to clue me in on what the fuck you're talking about?" I groused, feeling left out.

Bella frowned, nibbling on her bottom lip. "I meant to talk to you about it, but then I got tired, and you fed me soup," she mumbled, lip trembling and tears filling her dark eyes. I felt like an ass. "J asked if we wanted to go, but he was in this weird mood, got all upset over nothing," she ranted. Emmett snorted, but Bella didn't hear him. "Anyway, I told him I'd talk to you."

"Oh," I murmured, flipping open the brochure. "When were they going?"

"A few weeks," grumbled Emmett, watching Bella wipe the tears off her face, sniffling back her tears.

I nodded, "I think it'd be nice to get away, spend some time together." I smiled as Bella looked up at me, grinning. "Do you want to go?"

"Yeah," she giggled. "Might be the last time we get to spend some time together before the babies get here."

"Babies," chuckled Emmett, shaking his head when he stood up. "I still can't get over the fact you have three babies inside of you."

"I know," I laughed, standing up and pulling Bella to her feet.

"Take care of her, E, or I'll kick your ass," threatened Emmett, walking over to the door. He stopped, looking back at me. "Dude, seriously, congratulations."

"Thanks, Em." He left, shutting the door behind him.

Bella yawned, stretching. "How long before Ro cracks him?"

"I give him two days," I guessed.

"I give him about thirty-two hours," scoffed Bella, walking back into our bedroom. "Ro will be able to smell the secret on him. Poor man has no clue what she'll do to him to get it out of him, either."

Laughing, I followed Bella into our room, laying down on the bed next to her. She rolled over, resting her head on my chest and sighed. Renee and Emmett down, now we just need to tell everyone else.

**Thank you for all the reviews. If you get the chance go check out Going Under for the Third Time, an amazing Jazz/Bella fic by busymommy. In fact, go read all of hers, cause they are awesome. Also, any story by Nails233. Both of these women totally rock my world with their writing, and friendship. **


	5. Chapter 5

**March 7th BPOV**

"B, baby, you have to get up now," whispered Edward, sliding his hand under my shirt, err his shirt, and letting it rest on my belly.

"Don't want to," I mumbled, scooting closer to him.

"I know you don't, but you have to. We're going to see Esme today," he replied, kissing my shoulder while rubbing my growing babies bump. I smiled, just thinking of our babies. "I love your smile."

"I love you," I giggled, squirming against him. Rolling onto my back, I opened my eyes, finding him peering down at me. "Good morning."

"Morning," he murmured. I blushed, causing him to smile wider. "Did I ever tell you that your blush was what caused me to fall in love with you?"

"No."

"We were working on our project for our fifth grade science fair. Do you remember?" While he spoke, his fingers traced over my growing belly.

Nodding my head, I could feel my eyes filling with tears. "Our model of the solar system," I wept, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Every time I looked up, you were blushing. I wanted to kiss you so bad."

"Do it now," I whispered.

Leaning down, he captured my lips with his. Moaning, I deepened the kiss, weaving my fingers in his hair, pressing my body closer to his. I needed to be closer to him, to feel his bare skin against mine. Sliding one hand down his arm, I gripped the hem of his shirt, tugging on it. Chuckling against my lips, Edward pulled back, allowing me to be able to remove his shirt.

Feeling my cheeks heat up again, I let my fingers graze his bare chest, toying with his nipples. Groaning, he moved his hand down to the shirt I'd stolen and was now using as a nightgown, giving it a gentle tug up. Smiling, I let him take my shirt off, leaving me lying in front of him with just my cotton panties on. Propping himself up on his elbow, he looked over my nearly naked body, letting his eyes speak for him. My skin pinked under his sinful gaze.

"You're beautiful," he breathed. "Simply breathtaking."

"You're sweet," I giggled. "You might be saying different in a few months when I'm huge."

"Nope," he chuckled, bringing his hand up, cupping my sensitive breasts, playing with my nipples. I moaned, arching into his touch. "God, I want to make love to you so bad."

"What are you waiting for?" I smirked, rubbing my leg against his obvious erection.

Dropping his head onto my shoulder for a moment, he rolled onto his back, groaning. I moved so that I was straddling his legs, and reached for his pajama pants, he grabbed my hands, stopping me. "E?"

"Baby, you know I want to be buried inside of you," he started, "but until I know one hundred percent that it's safe, I can't."

I smiled, reaching for his pants. "Baby, come on, we're doctors. You know, just as well as I do, that it's fine."

Grabbing my hands, he flipped us, laying me on my back. "B, be good."

"I can be very good, let me show you," I smirked, bucking my hips into him. Edward groaned, climbing off the bed.

"Come on, you sexy little minx, let's go shower."

Laughing at the pout on my lips, he reached over, lifting me off the bed, kissing me again before setting me on my feet. Even though I really wanted to make love to him, or at least fuck him senseless, I followed him into the bathroom, knowing that he was right. Our first priority was making sure our babies were okay. Which was why we were taking the much needed step and going to see his mother today. While we knew the babies were okay, having done a couple extra ultrasounds over the last couple of weeks, neither Edward nor I were experienced with dealing with pregnancies, especially being pregnant with multiples. The time had come for us to talk to Esme.

Climbing out of the shower, I let Edward dry me with my towel, giggling when he spent extra time patting down my babies bump, leaning up and whispering to the babies. I fell deeper in love with him in those few moments. Smiling, he leaned up and kissed me. "Come on, B."

I followed him out into our bedroom, pulling on a pair red silk panties with a little bow on the front. Behind me, he groaned. When I looked back at him, he was staring at my ass, mouth hanging wide open. I laughed, "You had your chance, baby, now get dressed."

"Twenty minutes ago you were begging me to fuck you," he muttered, tucking his semi-hard cock into his boxer briefs.

"You were the one who said no," I smirked, stuffing my engorged breasts into my bra.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grumbled.

Laughing to myself, I pulled out a pair of jeans from the closet, being extra careful when I put them on. Sliding them up my legs, I went to button them, but they were too small. Gasping, I looked over at Edward. "I can't fit my jeans."

"What?" he chuckled, turning from his nightstand where he'd been putting on his watch. His eyes traveled down, widening when I showed him how my jeans were now too small. "Wow, guess, we need to get you some new clothes."

"I guess," I muttered, kicking them off.

I couldn't explain why, but not being about to fit into my jeans bothered me. Logically, I should have expected my pants to get too tight sooner, rather than later, seeing as I had three babies growing inside of my abdomen, but seeing it was weird. Tossing my jeans into the corner, I pulled out a pair of yoga pants from the closet, and put them on. Looking at myself in the floor length mirror, I smiled, seeing my belly jutting out between my hips.

Sliding his arms around my waist, Edward rested his hands over my belly. "Are you about ready?"

Feeling my eyes fill up with tears, I whispered, "Yes."

"Are you okay, baby?" I could see the worry in his eyes.

Raising my hand up to his cheek, I nodded. "I'm perfect, E. I don't know even know why I am crying."

"Are you sure?" he pushed.

After reassuring him again that everything was okay, I finished getting dressed, opting to wear one of his dress shirts over my t-shirt, which hugged my growing belly, too. Once I had my shoes and socks on, I choked down the toast Edward insisted that I eat, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge to take with me. Pulling on a light jacket, I followed Edward down the back steps to our apartment, and we headed toward the hospital.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about seeing Esme. Ever since the big fight back in December, things between us had been tense. I loved Esme, I always would, but hearing those words tumble out of her mouth, feeling the blame she put on me for our miscarriage, still tugged at my soul. I wanted to put it all behind me, and maybe one day I'd be able to, but right now, the words still stung.

Slipping his hand into mine, Edward held open the door to the ER for me, smiling when I walked past him. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice were standing at the nurses desk with Carlisle, who looked up at the two of us, letting a broad smile slip across his face. Looking over his shoulder at us, Emmett's eyes traveled down to my belly for a split second before snapping back up. He'd been stronger than we thought he would be. I figured he'd crack in the first hour, maybe two, but as far as we knew, he'd managed to make it a whole week and was still holding strong.

"Hey," he squeaked, lifting his hand. A nervous laugh tumbled out of his lips when everyone looked at him, before turning to us. So much for being Mr. Cool and Collected.

"B," cheered Alice, rushing around the desk and throwing herself on me. I stumbled back, trying to stop from falling.

"ALI!" yelled Emmett and Edward, while Carlisle screeched, "ALICE!"

"What?" She turned, looking back at all of them.

Clutching his chart against his chest, Emmett looked like he was about to have a heart attack, while Carlisle had snapped his pen in two and had ink covering his hands. Edward reached out, pulling me away from Alice, like he was afraid she's really hurt me. She turned back to me, frowning.

"Did I do something wrong?" she fretted.

"No," I scoffed, shrugging Edward's hands off my shoulders. "They're just being weird."

"Okay." She looked around, clearly unsure what had just happened. Carlisle muttered under his breath before pushing the door to the lounge open so he could wash his hands. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

Guilt washed over me. "I know, Ali," I replied. "Just been so busy, you know?"

"Yeah, but you're still going to Vermont with us, right?" she pleaded.

"Of course we are," I assured her, grabbing her hand. Edward cleared his throat. Looking up at him, he tilted his head to the side, lifting an eyebrow. "Oh, um, we've gotta go."

We'd barely taken two steps when Rose's words stopped us cold, "What are you doing here anyway?"

With a quick glance at each other, we turned and faced everyone again. Emmett's eyes were locked on the floor, while Jasper, Rose, and Alice were looking at us expectantly. "Um, well," I started, feeling my nerves working overtime. I wanted to tell them, but standing in the middle of the ER wasn't the place to have this discussion. Guilt ate at me again.

Before I could say anything else, the doors to the ambulance bay burst open and the paramedics rushed in with a major trauma. Letting Rose's question fade away when they rushed over, assessing the situation. Wrapping his arm around my waist, Edward lead me over to the elevator. We rode up to the maternity floor in silence, both of us knowing we'd dodged a bullet so to speak.

"Do you think they'll be mad when they find out?" I wondered.

"Probably," he admitted.

The doors slid open and we stepped out, heading down to Esme's office. Her door was open when we stopped in the doorway. Esme was sitting behind her desk, bent over a stack of charts. Taking a deep breath, Edward reached up and knocked on her door.

Lifting her eyes up to us, she smiled, standing up. "Bella, Edward, come in," she giggled, rushing around the desk. We stepped into her office, closing the door behind us. Hugging us both, I was thankful my jacket and Edward's dress shirt hid my growing belly. I didn't want Esme realizing I was pregnant just by hugging me. Stepping away, she brought one of her hands up to my face, wiping away the tears I hadn't realized were falling. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I whimpered. " I missed you."

"I've missed you, too," she murmured. "Come sit."

Edward kept his arm around my waist while we moved over and sat in the chairs in front of her desk. With a smile on her face, Esme moved back around, settling in her chair. She moved the stack of charts to the side, folding her hands in front of her. "Are you going to tell me why you're here? Or would you like me to guess?"

"Esme," I started just when Edward said, "Mom."

Laughing, I gestured for him to tell her. He took another deep breath. "Mom," he repeated. "Bella's pregnant again." Esme's face lit up as she started to stand. "With triplets."

Falling back in her seat, her mouth fell open. She shifted her eyes from Edward to me, letting them drop to my midsection. Sighing, I stood up, shrugging my jacket off and unbuttoning his dress shirt, revealing my babies bump, while Edward slipped a few of our ultrasound pictures across her desk. Somehow, her eyes widen even more. Looking down at Edward, I gave him a look that clearly asked "What the hell?" since she had yet to speak.

"Um, Mom." Edward cleared his throat, pulling her out of her daze.

"Oh my god," she gasped, standing up so fast her chair flew back, smashing into the wall. In two heartbeats, she had me in her arms, hugging the life out of me. "OH MY GOD!"

"Esme," I croaked, trying to wiggle out of her iron grip. "Need...air."

"Mother," snapped Edward, tearing me away from her.

Esme brought her hands up to her mouth, muffling her sobs. "Oh my God," she breathed, making no effort to wipe away her tears.

"Yeah, we know," laughed Edward, sliding his arm around my waist and placing his other hand on my belly. "We were pretty shocked, too."

"I would imagine so," she giggled, reaching out for my hands. I placed mine in hers, letting her pull me into a gentle hug, the type only Esme could give. "Oh, sweetheart."

"I know," I wept, laying my head on her shoulder.

For several minutes, we stood in the middle of her office, just holding onto each other and letting our tears fall together, just enjoying the moment when all that mattered were the three babies I carried. Pulling back from me, Esme smiled, looking over my shoulder at Edward, who had been patiently waiting for us to have our moment. Just another reason why I loved him so much.

"Oh, Edward," she murmured, leaning up and kissing his cheek. His ears turned pink, I smiled. "Congratulations, darling."

"Thanks, Mom," he whispered, sincerity in both words.

Turning back to me, she kept his hand in hers. "Now, how long have you known?"

I gulped. "Um, a few weeks," I muttered.

She nodded. "I should have expected it," she sighed. "The signs were clear."

"So I've heard," I replied, rolling my eyes when I sat back down. Barely stifling his snort, Edward sat next to me, while Esme leaned against her desk in front of us. "We're sorry we didn't tell you before, we just needed some time to process everything, and..."

"And make sure you didn't lose this baby, or these babies, I should say, too." Esme smiled. "Sweetheart, it's okay. A lot of women who've gone through a miscarriage choose to keep their pregnancies to themselves until they hit the second trimester." She moved back around her desk, pulling out a notepad. "Now, when was the date of your last period?"

"December twentieth." She nodded, scribbling down on her paper. "I just hit eleven weeks, if I figured everything out correctly."

"Which I'm sure you did," she laughed, looking up at me. "How have you been feeling?"

"Very tired, and emotional."

"You'll experience even more fatigue and hormonal changes with three babies," she explained, leaning back in her seat. "Any cramping or bleeding?"

"No," I breathed, feeling my heart race. Edward brought my hand up to his lips. "I've had some morning sickness, but it's been manageable."

Picking up the ultrasound pictures, she brought her hand up to her mouth. A coy smile curved upwards. "I just can't believe it."

"Us either," chuckled Edward.

Sighing, Esme placed the pictures on her desks, leaning up on her elbow. "Does everyone else know?"

I swallowed against the lump of guilt in my throat. "Only, Renee," I lied, knowing how hurt she would be if she found out Carlisle's known for weeks.

Esme nodded, "Bella, are you wanting me to be your doctor?"

"Yes," I answered. "I know it will be weird, Esme, but I don't feel comfortable with people touching me, and-"

Putting her hand up, she stopped me. "You don't have to explain, but I don't have much experience with high-risk pregnancies, especially triplets." She leaned back in her seat. "How would you feel if I brought someone in to work with me?"

"I don't know," I muttered, placing my hand over my belly. "I guess it would depend on who you brought in."

"I'm thinking Dr. Biers. She's the best the obstetrician in the city, Bella."

Shifting my eyes over to Edward, I sighed. "What do you think?"

"I think it's what's best for the babies, B." He smiled, covering my hand with his own. "I'm with you every step. You know that, don't you?"

"I do," I whispered, feeling myself becoming emotional again. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I shifted my eyes back over to Esme. "Okay, we'll go see Dr. Biers."

Esme called Dr. Biers' office setting us up an appointment for the following day, promising to meet us at there. She congratulated us again before we left, walking out of her office. Pushing my arm into my jacket, I froze when I heard a breathless gasp. Lifting my eyes up, I found myself staring into Rose's deep blue eyes, only to find her eyes drop down to my belly. Snapping her eyes up to mine, she glared at me. Oh, shit!

**Thank you for all the reviews. I truly appreciate them all. So what will Rose have to say?**


	6. Chapter 6

**March 7th **

Rose looked from me, to Edward, down to the obvious babies bump resting between my hips, and back up at me, pain and anger flashing through her eyes. I reached out for her, but she stepped backward, shaking her head. Guilt crawled over me once again, I'd hurt her. Turning, she walked down the hall, toward the stairwell.

"Ro!" I called, chasing after her. I followed her, throwing open the door to the stairwell. "Ro, wait, please!"

"No, B," she spat, but stopped anyway. Turning, I saw the tears pouring down her face. "How far along are you?"

"Eleven weeks," I whispered.

"Don't fucking lie to me, Bella!" she screeched. I flinched, stumbling backward. "You're huge!"

Pushing back the hurt at how enormous I apparently was, I sighed. "I'm not lying," I insisted, placing my hand on my belly. "I just hit eleven weeks, I promise."

"Look at you," she wailed, taking the handful of steps to get to me. Covering my hands with hers, she shook her head. "Oh, B."

"Triplets," I murmured. Her eyes flew open when she looked up at me. "Three babies, snug as bug in a rug."

"Are you shitting me?" she gasped, a smile spreading over her lips, and I knew we were forgiven.

"No, Ro," laughed Edward, wrapping his arm around me from behind. "We're completely serious."

"Oh, my God!" she squealed, stepping up onto the step with me and hugging me. "I'm so sorry, B, I just saw your belly, and, I don't know, freaked out, I guess."

"It's okay," I wept, unsure why I was crying this time, either. "I'm sorry for not telling you, but we wanted to make sure everything turned out okay, you know just in case."

"Of course, that makes sense," she giggled, stepping back. "And I ruined it by being a bitch, didn't I?"

"No," I murmured. "We just didn't know how to say it, I guess."

"How about just saying I'm pregnant with triplets?" she suggested, laughing. I shook my head. "Or maybe not."

"We want to do it right, make it special," I started, smiling. "Carlisle kind of dragged it out of us, and Em-"

"Em knows," growled Rose, releasing my hands.

"Um, yeah," admitted Edward. Before we could explain, Rose let out a menacing screech and took off down the stairs once again. Fearing for Emmett's life, we followed, hoping we could stop her before she did something stupid, like stab in him the throat with a scalpel.

Throwing open the door to the emergency room, Rose stormed out, muttering about ending Emmett for not telling her. Guilt ate at me for putting him in this position, knowing that when she did find out, Rose would be furious. Following her through the emergency room, I tried to grab her arm in order to stop her, but she wasn't having it. Emmett was leaning against the nurse's desk, working on a chart when she came up behind him, slapping him in the back of the head.

"What the fuck?" he groused, stumbling away and looking back at her. "Ro, why the fuck did you hit me?"

"You know perfectly well why," she snapped, gesturing to me. I pulled the sides of Edward's shirt together to cover my bump, and Emmett clamped his mouth shut, understanding washing over him. "How could you not tell me?"

"It wasn't my business to tell," he muttered, trying to keep his voice low. "They weren't ready."

"How long have you known?" pushed Rose, placing her hands on her hips.

"A week," he mumbled, sighing. Rose closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "After what happened last time we meddled, I knew better than to start anything, baby. They weren't ready, and I sure as hell wasn't going to be a dick to B again. Not again."

Bringing my hand up, I wiped away a tears, seeing the Emmett I had loved as a brother all my life once again fighting my battles for me. "Ro," I whispered. She turned, frowning at me. "Please, don't be mad at Em. He was only doing what we asked."

"What in the hell is going on out here?" commanded Carlisle, storming out of exam room ten. Shifting his gaze from Emmett and Rose, over to me, his eyes dropped to my abdomen before lifting back up to mine. I nodded, confirming they knew. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh," muttered Rose, walking away from us. "Nice to know we rank so high in the chain of who gets to know life-altering events."

"RO!" I yelled after her.

"She'll be fine," insisted Emmett, trying to convince himself as much as me.

Rushing after his wife, I covered my mouth, trying my hardest not to scream or fall to pieces completely. I should never have put him in that position, knowing he'd basically have to lie to her. Once again, my fears had put the people I loved the most in this world in awkward position, leaving them to defend their actions. Slipping his arms around me, Edward turned me so that I was facing his chest, guiding one of his hands up to the back of my head.

"Shh, baby, it's okay," he whispered. "They'll work it out, and then we can talk some sense into Ro."

"B?" gasped Alice. Sniffing back my tears, I found her and Jasper coming out of the lounge, worry and stress etched all over their faces. "What's wrong?"

My lips parted to reply, but all that would come out was a strangled sob. Burying my face in Edward's chest once again, I shook my head, unable to answer her. "She's fine, Ali," muttered Edward, pulling me toward the doors leading out of the hospital. "Just once again made to feel guilty for needing time."

As Edward led me through the double doors, I heard Carlisle reassuring Alice and Jasper that everything was okay, and we'd explain when we were ready. Clutching the front of Edward's shirt, I expected him to lead us back to our small apartment, but he surprised me by heading toward the subway. Settling on the train, I kept my head on his shoulder, my arms wrapped protectively around my babies.

Rose would understand eventually, I hoped. We wanted to tell them, all of them, but the pain of losing our first baby, and Charlie, had nearly pushed me to the brink of insanity. I couldn't go through all of that again, and have to try to keep a positive attitude around them, too. A dozen times a day, I found myself rubbing my babies, hoping and praying they'd be okay. She had to understand. They all did, didn't they?

"Come on, baby, this is our stop," murmured Edward, sliding his arm around my waist and helping me to my feet.

Leaning into him, I followed him up onto the platform, up the stairs, and to the street. Leading me up a couple of blocks, he stopped outside a small clothing store, a store that sold maternity clothes. Smiling, I looked up at him. "What are we doing here?"

"I figured that would be pretty obvious," he chuckled, patting my belly. "You need new clothes, hence, we buy you new clothes."

"But we can't afford them," I muttered. "We're barely putting anything back as it is, E, and we're going to need to start buying the essentials for the babies."

Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "I know, but I'll figure it out." When I went to protest, he placed one finger on my lips, shushing me. "We're not arguing about this, B. You can't wear my shirts and sweats everyday, Just pick out a few outfits, to at least start you out, and we'll go from there. Please?"

Unable to resist, his pouting lip, I groaned, but nodded. "Fine, but just a few things. I'll wear your scrubs to work, or steal some of Em's."

"Thank you," he sighed, relief evident.

While I browsed the selection, Edward decided he needed to make suggestions on what would look good on me, and what he called nice. Everything he held up had baby kitties, puppies, or little evil looking bunnies on them. By the third godawful shirt he held up, I'd had enough. Pointing to a chair in the back, I ordered him to sit and let me shop. He sulked, but did what I asked.

"Can I help you?" Turning, I found an older woman with dark hair standing behind me with a gracious smile on her face. "That's the wrong color for you," she added, gesturing to the yellow shirt in my hand. "You need warmer colors."

"Oh," I muttered, hanging the shirt back up.

Reaching around me, she pulled off a dark olive green top with a deep v-neck. Holding it up in front of me, she smiled. "Perfect. Accents your skin tone perfectly."

"Oh," was all I seemed to be able to whisper.

"How much farther do you have?" she wondered, turning back to the rack and started pulling more tops off.

"Quite a ways," I replied, rubbing my ever growing belly.

With a wide smile, she continued to add to the increasing pile of clothes for me to try on. Placing her hand on my arm, she led me into the back, and gestured to one of the dressing rooms. Edward had leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out in front of him with his ankle's crossed in front of him. Even though his eyes were closed, the cocky smirk resting on his lips gave him away. He enjoyed watching me get pampered like this. Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the small room, and thanked her. Pulling the curtain to closed, I stripped off my shirts and pulled on the olive green one she had suggested. Dipping down in front, the shirt hugged my breasts, showing my girls off. Tugging the curtain to the side, I stepped out, modeling the shirt for my Edward.

"Wow." He stood up, looking me from top to bottom, a wicked smile spread over his lips. "Baby, you look hot, so fucking sexy."

Blushing, I brought my hands up to my stomach. "How long do you think I will be able to wear it?"

"A while," he chuckled. "Do you like it?"

Nodding, I smiled. "Feels nice, even with my boobs hanging out."

"My favorite part." He wiggled his eyebrows at me, causing me to giggle. "Try something else on."

By the time Edward and I found ourselves paying for everything, I had managed to find five tops, two pairs of jeans, a sundress, and several new pairs of panties. Seeing the triple digit number come up on the register caused me to cringe. Edward whipped our credit card out and swiped it like we owned the world. I clamped my lips shut, knowing how important this was to him. If all I could give him was this, I'd do it happily.

By the time we got back to our apartment, I was exhausted. Laughing under his breath, he kissed my forehead and sent me to lay down, saying he was going to head to the market and pick up something for dinner. Mumbling out a quick sure, I shrugged off everything but my t-shirt and panties, before climbing into our bed, cradling his pillow to the front of my body. Letting out a content sigh, I felt my body relax and I drifted off to sleep.

I was startled awake sometime later when I heard muffled voices coming from the living room. Stifling my yawn, I sat up, stretching and looking over at the clock, just after seven. Climbing off the bed, I pulled on a pair of Edward's scrub bottoms and shuffled into the living room, where I found Emmett sitting on the couch with Edward. His face was buried in his hands and his shoulders shook. Something wasn't right.

"What's going on?" I whispered, fearing the worst. The two of them looked up at me, anguish evident. "Em? E?"

"Ro kicked me out," Emmett's voice came out thick, gravely.

"What?" I gasped, sitting on the edge of our recliner.

"She left the hospital before our shift was over and went back to the townhouse. When I got home, I found my shit packed in our luggage and sitting outside our bedroom. The door was locked and she refused to speak to me." Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. "B, I didn't know where else to go."

"This is unbelievable," I muttered, standing up. Leaving them sitting on the couch, I walked back into mine and Edward's bedroom, changing into the yoga pants I'd been wearing earlier, and headed back out into the living room, slipping on my shoes.

"Where in the hell do you think you are going, B?" quizzed Edward, standing up.

Huffing, I looked up at him. "To talk some fucking sense into Ro."

"No," snapped him and Emmett, who stood up.

Emmett sighed, trying to calm himself down. "You don't have to fight my battle."

"I'm not," I insisted. "But you wouldn't have had to keep the babies a secret if I hadn't asked you to, if I hadn't needed time. Maybe I'm selfish." Emmett and Edward started to protest, but stopped when I held my hand up. "I'm not going to sit here, Em, and let her make the biggest mistake of her life, because you were trying to be there for me and E."

"B." He shook his head. Reaching out, he grabbed my shoulders, pulling me flush against his chest. "You're a pretty awesome sister, you know that, don't you?"

"I try," I whispered. "I love you, Em, and I love Ro too much to let her do this."

"Fine, but we're coming with you," he agreed. "No arguing."

Even though I could tell Edward wasn't thrilled with me trekking over to the townhouse, he didn't stop me. We pulled on our jackets, they grabbed Emmett's luggage, and we walked over there. The air was cool, breezy, sending a chill through me. Slipping his arm around my waist, Edward pulled me closer to him, trying to keep me warm.

Emmett looked back at us before pulling his keys out and unlocking the front door. We hadn't been back to the townhouse since the day Edward and I moved out. Looking behind me, my eyes rested on the house across the street while my hand automatically lifted to the small three scars on my belly, my everlasting reminder of the monster that lived inside my head.

"B," whispered Edward.

With a quiet sigh, I gave him a reassuring smile and followed them into the house. Jasper and Alice were sitting in the living room, snuggling up together, and watching a movie. Looking up, they started to smile until they noticed Emmett standing behind me and Edward. With a not so subtle glance toward the stairs, Alice reached over and picked up the remote, pausing the movie.

"Well, looks like this is going to be a long night," she muttered, standing up. Padding past us, she walked into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with an arm full of beers. "Something tells me that we will need one."

She handed Jasper and Emmett each one, before offering one to me and Edward. "No, thanks," he groused, tightening his arm around me.

"I'm gonna go talk to Ro," I replied, shifting my eyes back to Emmett.

Placing my hand on his chest for a moment, I trudged up the stairs, stopping just outside Rose and Emmett's bedroom. Raising my hand, I knocked three times, waiting for her to open the door before trying the doorknob. Locked, of course. Sighing, I placed one hand on the frame.

"Ro, it's B," I called. "Please open the door."

A moment later, I heard the click as she unlocked the door. Turning the knob, I pushed the door open and saw her settling back on the bed. Stepping into the room, I closed the door and crawled onto the bed, curling up behind her. Snaking my arm around her waist, I snuggled up next to her, feeling my babies bump pushing into her back.

"Hey, pretty lady," I whispered. "Pretty mad at me, huh?"

"No," she whimpered. "I'm pissed the fuck off at Em, but not you, B."

"Ro," I sighed, closing my eyes. "You shouldn't be mad at him."

"He lied to me," she groused, rolling onto her back.

"No, he just didn't tell you," I countered, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. My jacket fell open, showing off my belly. Covering my bump with my hands, I shook my head. "What would you have done if he came home that night and told you about me and the babies?"

"I would have rushed over and yelled at you for not telling me first, then hugged the shit out of you," she admitted, pulling her knees up.

"And if you had found out before him, and you promised us not to tell him, would you have?" I asked. She replied with a shake of her head. "Why not?"

"Because I promised not to," she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"That's all he did," I murmured, reaching out and taking her hand. "He tried to be a good friend, a good brother, Ro, and you're punishing him for keeping his word."

"It's more than that," she groused, sliding the edge of the bed.

"Ro, talk to me," I pleaded, moving so that I was sitting next to her.

Closing her eyes, she began weeping, "What if he gets tired of me?" Looking up at me, I saw the doubt, the fear, swimming in her eyes. "What if..."

"What if?" I prompted.

"What if I can't be the wife he wants me to be?" she barely asked, speaking just over a whisper.

"Oh, Ro, you already are the wife he wants." Reaching over, I took her hand in mine, toying with her wedding rings. "I know it's scary, sweetie, to let go of all the hurt and anger of your...birth parents, if you can call them that. I prefer to call them assholes, or dickweeds, or-"

"I get it, B," laughed Rose.

"Don't make my mistakes," I whimpered, feeling my eyes fill up with tears. "Don't hold on to the anger, the hurt, because it almost cost me the man I love, Ro. It almost cost me you and Em, J and Ali."

"Are you and E good, B?" she wondered.

"We're in a good place." I smiled. "It's still hard to tell him how I'm feeling, but I'm working on it." I paused, reaching up and wiping away my tears. "I waited a long time for him to come back to me, Ro, and I won't let him go now. The question you have to ask is if you are willing to let Em go, because nobody makes you smile that man does." Leaning over, I kissed her cheek, whispering, "He's waiting for you."

Leaving her alone, I headed back down stairs, motioning for Emmett to head up. Stopping long enough to kiss my cheek, he spirited up the stairs. I smiled, slipping my arms around Edward, reminding myself of all the reasons I love him. The simple way his touch made my fears disappear. The gentleness of his lips when they told me what his heart's told me for as long as I could remember. The man I'd spent my entire life loving, and the very one I'd spend the rest of my life with.

"Take me home," I whispered, looking in his eyes. "Please."

Searching my eyes, he nodded. "Ali, J, later."

"Bye," muttered Jasper, but Edward already had me to the door, fumbling with the handle.

In what felt like seconds, Edward and I had walked back to our apartment, and were laying on our bed, having shrugged off our clothes, and pulled the blankets up over us. His hand rested on my hip, fingers stroking my flesh. My heart beat wildly in my chest, my breathing coming out shallow. Suddenly, I felt like I was fifteen again, making love to him for the first time.

"Make love to me," I breathed, trembling against him. Closing his eyes, he went to protest, but I stopped him by placing a searing kiss on his lips. "Please, I need to feel you."

"I can't resist you," he murmured, shifting himself over me.

And he didn't resist me. We allowed our bodies to speak for us, reminding the other how much we needed them, loved them, desired them. Clamping our hands together, we cried out, falling over the edge, basking in the love we shared.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them. I have a big favor to ask of you. Over on The Writers Coffee Shop library, www(.)thewriterscoffeeshop(.)com(/)library(/)index(.)php, the first of my two original novels that I entered into their originals romance contest is up for public voting. It's called Angel's Heart and if you all would, I'd be so thankful if you'd hop over and vote. The poll can be found on the home page, left hand side, toward the bottom and will be open through next Wednesday. **


	7. Chapter 7

**March 8th EPOV**

Rolling onto my side, I slipped my arm under my pillow and watched my wife sleep. Her arm rested above her head, a breathtaking smile playing on her parted lips. Our sheet barely covered her naked body, rising and falling with each breath she took. Stretching, Bella rolled into her side, hand sliding down to her stomach, resting on the small bump nestled between her hips. Yawning, she slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times before finding mine. There was only one word to describe my Bella; exquisite.

"How long have you been watching me?" she murmured, cheeks heating up.

"A few minutes," I whispered, laying my hand over hers, over our children. "Are you feeling okay? After last night, did I hurt you, or the babies?"

"I'm fine, E." She smiled. "Perfect, in fact."

"Are you sure?" I pushed.

"Yes, a little tired, but I needed to feel you last night," she assured me. "Everything with Ro just...we shouldn't have put Em in that position."

"No, we shouldn't have, but we did. Everything worked out so it's all good."

Frowning, she didn't say anything. Bringing my hand up to her cheek, I brushed my fingers across her skin. Guilt filled her eyes, and I tried to stifle my anger. I didn't blame Rose for being upset, I might even feel the same way if I was in her shoes, but Emmett was only trying to give us more time. After everything that had happened in the last year, we needed some time to enjoy the babies nestled in her womb.

"We'd better get moving."

With a nod, she agreed. Moving over to sit on the side of the bed, Bella stretched again, letting the sheet fall off her body. Her hair hung down her back, the silhouette of her full breasts showing. Biting my lip, I struggled to stifle my moan. With every small change with her body, the more beautiful she became, the more in love with her I fell.

Looking over her shoulder, she smiled. "See something you like, baby?"

"Hmm," I hummed, crawling across the bed, pressing my lips against her shoulder. She shivered against me, I smiled. "I see the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Yeah?" Her body flushed bright red, my favorite color on her.

"You doubt me?" I wondered, trying not to sound hurt. How many times would I have to tell her how beautiful she was before she'd actually believe me?

"Not exactly," she mumbled, turning away from me.

"Then what exactly is it?" I questioned.

"Well, you've been around a lot of women, E, during our time apart," she began. "Surely, there were some that were more beautiful than I am."

"Nope." I smiled, stroking her cheek. "Baby, I've told you before, I never saw anyone other than you."

"Okay," she replied, but her doubts were clear.

Moving off of the bed, I knelt in front of her, cupping her face between my hands. "Every moment that we spent apart from each other felt like a hundred. Baby, I've loved you since I was twelve, and I'll love you forever."

Lips trembling, she fell forward, throwing her arms around my neck. Holding her tight, I rubbed her back, soothing her as she cried. Knowing how overwhelmed she'd been feeling over the last few weeks, I gladly held her. She needed me, and I wouldn't let her down. Not this time.

"I love you, too," she whimpered, burying her face into my neck. "I'm so lucky to have you, baby. I'll never let you go."

"Oh, love, I'm the lucky one," I whispered.

Pulled her legs around me, I stood up, carrying her into the bathroom. I placed her back on her feet, kissing her softly. Turning on the water, I waited until it was warm, but not too hot, before I helped her into the shower. I climbed in behind her, slipping my arms around her waist, letting my hands rest on her abdomen. I longed for the day when I'd feel them moving inside of her.

We took our time washing each other, me using her favorite body wash on her. Japanese Cherry Blossom was all she'd use, and I didn't mind. I loved the way it made her smell. Much better than that strawberry crap most of the women seemed to wear at the time. Once we were both clean, I shut off the water, wrapping a towel around her and helping her out of the shower. The last thing she needed would be to fall.

Once I had my own towel, we headed into our bedroom and started getting ready. Both of us had to work after our appointment with Dr. Biers. Pulling on our scrubs, Bella muttered under her breath when she slipped on hers, which hugged her growing curves. I loved all of them, the way her body was shifting to accommodate our babies. Slipping on a light jacket, Bella and I headed toward the hospital for our first appointment with Dr. Biers.

Just like Bella felt, I was nervous about seeing her. We both found it hard to open ourselves up to those who might hurt us, but for the health of our babies, we'd put aside our fears for them. I could only hope we wouldn't have to give up everything. Bypassing the emergency room, Bella and I chose to enter through the lobby, taking the elevator to the third floor. Stopping outside Esme's office, we both took a calming breath, before I knocked.

"Come in," called Esme. Tightening my arm around her waist, I pushed open the door, finding my mother and Dr. Biers waiting for us. With long, dark red hair and large, bright blue eyes, Dr. Biers stood up, smiling between the two of us. "Victoria, this is Edward and Bella, my favorite children."

"She only says that because they aren't here to defend themselves," giggled Bella, each word coming out shaky.

"I'm sure that's true," laughed Victoria, moving over to her. She held out a hand to Bella. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Swan. I've heard so much about you."

"Oh, great," muttered Bella, blushing.

"All great, I assure you," she clarified. "Several of my patents have dealt with you in the ER. They speak highly of your bedside manner."

"I just try to make things easier for them," she mumbled, flushing darker.

"Well, I'd say you're successful." Smiling, Victoria turned to me. "And I've heard a few things about you, as well, Dr. Cullen."

"Call me Edward, Dr. Biers."

"It's Victoria, please," she scoffed. "Now, how about we get this appointment started. I'm sure we all have a busy day ahead of ourselves."

Agreeing, Bella and I followed Esme and Victoria down the hallway to one of the exam rooms. Bella fidgeting with the hem of her scrub top. Several of the nurses and aides, stopped and looked at us on our way. I could almost see them searching for any new gossip they could share. Luckily, Bella's jacket hid her bump. The last think we would need was for Alice and Jasper to hear through the grapevine about the babies. It was bad enough that everyone else, but them knew already.

Stepping into the small room, Victoria instructed Bella to change into one of the gowns, and to climb on the table. She and Esme waited out in the hall, until she'd followed their instructions and I let them know it was okay to come in. Moving back to her side, I slipped my arm around her waist, trying to offer my wife what support I could. Victoria quickly ran through Bella's medical history, making a special note about the miscarriage she'd suffered just six months ago.

"Okay, we''ll start with a quick exam, and then, I want to get an ultrasound of your babies," she explained. Bella grinned, as eager to see our babies again, as I was.

Esme came up and stood on the other side of the table, holding Bella's hand when she lied back. While Victoria began Bella's exam, declaring everything to be perfect, I kept my gaze locked on my wife. We all sighed in relief. Esme averted her eyes while Victoria opened her gown, examining her breasts and stomach. It's nothing Esme hadn't seen a thousand times, but everything was different for her now that Bella was the one on laying out on the table.

Running her fingers over the three small scars on Bella's abdomen, Victoria looked up at her. "They'll all, but disappear once you really start showing."

"They will?" questioned Bella, breathlessly.

Victoria nodded. "You won't even see them." She smiled. "How about we check on your babies, now?"

"Yes, please," squealed Bella, blushing over her eagerness. I laughed, bringing her hand up to my lips.

Victoria's smile grew as she pulled the ultrasound machine over, settling on her rolling stool. "How long have the two of you been married?"

"Almost seven months," I replied.

"Wow, not very long at all," she chuckled, squirting some gel onto her stomach.

"He's been mine since the day I was born," murmured Bella, blinking several times. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Reaching over I brushed it away. "Just like you've been mine," I whispered.

The hum of the machine warming up, broke us out of our intimate moment. Blushing, we turned our attention back to Victoria. With a smile, she pulled the wand out, placing it on her belly. We took a deep breath when she started moving it around, waiting for a fresh glimpse of our future. Time seemed to slow down as Victoria measured each baby, making notes on her chart. Esme rocked on her toes, almost as excited as we were.

Turning the screen to face us, Victoria's smile grew. "Here they are."

Lifting my eyes from Bella to the screen, I felt my breath caught in my chest. Squirming and wiggling around inside my wife's womb, were my babies. Their hearts beat rapidly, their tiny limbs moving. With the way the babies were turned toward each other, it almost seemed like they were playing patty-cake.

A muffled sob broke through my focus, I shifted my eyes over to my mother. Standing with her hand still wrapped around Bella's, and her other covering her mouth, Esme wept. "I've seen hundreds of babies in my career, but none of those moments compared to this."

"They're beautiful," cried Bella, keeping her eyes glued onto the image before us. "The babies are okay, aren't they?"

"Yes, Bella, your triplets are fine," Victoria tried to reassure her. "They are measuring a little behind eleven weeks, but with three babies, that's normal. There's one amniotic sac, which indicates that you will be having monozygotic triplets."

"Wow," I murmured, shaking my head.

"Yeah, wow about sums it up," snickered Victoria, printing us off half a dozen pictures.

Handing them to me, she grabbed a handful of paper towels and cleaned the remaining gel off of Bella's stomach, before helping her sit up. Bella pulled the sides of her gown together, and brushed her tears off her face. Victoria pushed the machine back against the wall and stood up, scribbling some notes into her chart. Sighing, she laid her pen down and turned back to us.

"Okay, now, we need to talk," she began. "You already know what I'm going to say, but I'm gonna say it anyway." She smiled. "You have to take it easy."

"I know," replied Bella.

"No, I mean really easy," she scoffed. "With multiples, especially triplets or more, your body is going to be under great strain than with a single pregnancy."

"Yes, I know," repeated Bella, pointing to herself. "Doctor, remember?"

"Bella," sighed Victoria, putting her hands up, "I don't mean to insinuate that you don't know everything I'm telling you, because I know that whichever medical school you attended, your professors taught you the basics. However, they can't prepare you for the realization of what you're about to endure." Scowling, Bella looked away. "Let's talk about work."

"What about it?" muttered Bella, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You need to cut your hours back," she explained, cutting her off before she could complain. "Before you start arguing with me, hear me out."

"Okay," huffed Bella.

Pulling her stool over, Victoria sat down, crossing her legs. "With triplets, you're going to find your body going through more than you would with a single pregnancy. Extreme fatigue and emotions are just the beginning. Now, I'm not saying you can't work, yet at least, but I'd like to see you cutting your hours in half. When you are working, I want you to be careful. No heavy lifting, period."

Bella closed her eyes, and I could read her mind. She was stressing over how we'd be able to afford everything with her only working part time. Leaning over, I placed my lips at her ear. "Baby, we'll figure it out, but keeping the babies safe is our top priority."

"Okay," she breathed, opening her eyes. "What else?"

Victoria stood up, smiling. "You need to eat more, a lot more. I want to see you every two weeks, and we'll be doing an ultrasound at each visit. Esme, let me know what your schedule looks like, and we'll coordinate when the best time will be to set her appointments."

"I'll email you this afternoon," answered Esme.

Nodding, Victoria looked back at Bella. "Your due date is September twenty-sixth, but I think we're going to aim for the first of August, if you make it that far."

Taking a deep breath, Bella said, "What are the odds of all three babies surviving?"

"I don't go by what statistics tell me," replied Victoria. "The babies will more than likely come at around thirty weeks, and they will be small, a couple pounds each, maybe more depending on how far you make it. Esme and I will be monitoring you closely, hoping to give them all the chances in we can."

Bella exhaled, knowing just like I did, that our babies would have a rough start on life. Slipping my arm around her waist, I thanked Victoria, letting her know I'd be in touch with Esme about her next appointment. Esme mumbled something about walking her down to the elevator. They left us alone, and Bella looked over at me with a mix of fear and joy swimming in her eyes.

"That went well," she murmured, trying to see the bright side.

"It did," I agreed. "Baby, everything's going to be okay."

"How can you know that?" she wondered.

"Because Karma owes us a shitload of good times." I smiled, before leaning in to kiss her. "We're together, and our babies are healthy. We'll take it one day at a time. It's all we can do."

"You're right," she whispered, climbing off the table. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Bella changed back into her scrubs, leaving her gown laying across the table.

Slipping my arm back around her waist, we headed down to the elevator, stopping at Esme's office. We told her that we'd send our schedules up to her so she and Victoria could see when to work in Bella's next appointment. With her eyes glued onto the ultrasound picture, she waved us off, mumbling about letting her take care of everything. Shaking my head at her, Bella and I left her to her musings and went down to the emergency room to start our shifts. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, and Carlisle were in the lounge when we walked in. Everyone, except Alice and Jasper, inhaled sharply, averting their eyes from us, something they noticed.

Sharing a look with Jasper, Alice stood up and walked over to Bella, who was hanging her jacket up in her locker. "What's up, B?" she asked casually.

"Nothing," Bella murmured. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual." Alice shrugged her shoulders. "So, J and I were thinking that we should all go out for drinks tonight after work. It's been awhile since the six of us got together."

"Yeah, B, doesn't that sound fun?" pushed Jasper, standing up. "A couple beers, some small talk."

"No, not really," sighed Bella, closing her locker and shifting her body toward the two of them. "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?" Alice smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Scoffing, I hung my jacket inside my locker, closing the door. "Bella's pregnant," I announced, tired of trying to find the perfect moment.

Alice smiled, looking over to Jasper. "You owe me ten bucks."

"Son of a bitch," grumbled Jasper, pulling his wallet out and slipping a ten dollar bill into his wife's hand. "I can't believe you were right."

"What the fuck is going on here?" groused Bella, placing her hands on her hips.

Alice's head fell back as she laughed. "Oh, please, B, only a complete moron wouldn't have picked up on the fact that you're pregnant. No offense, J."

"Offense taken," he quipped, falling back into his seat. "I was certain that she was just on her period."

"J!" exclaimed Bella, throwing her hands up. Her scrub top rose, showing off her growing belly. Alice's eyes flew open and Jasper jumped to his feet.

"Holy fuck, B," he yelled. "You're huge."

"J!" I snapped, when Bella gasped, yanking her shirt down.

Carlisle stood up, backing up to the door. "I'd better go find something else to do," he blurted, sensing a meltdown coming on. Before anyone could stop him, he was out the door.

"B," started Jasper, but shut his mouth when I held my hand up.

"Dude, I should kick your ass for that comment," I jibed, turning to face my wife. She stood there, staring at him with her mouth hanging open and her hands resting over the babies. "B, baby, he's an ass."

"Triplets," tumbled out between her lips. "I'm having triplets."

Alice's mouth fell open, and Jasper dropped back into his chair, but neither of them said a word. Emmett and Rose sat on the sofa, looking between the four of us, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Bella reached out, snapping her fingers in front of Alice's face, getting no reaction from her. I went over and waved my hand in front of Jasper's, again getting nothing.

Cocking my eyebrow, I looked back at my wife, smiling. "I think we broke them," I snickered.

"Are you serious?" whispered Alice, reaching out and taking Bella's hand. "Three babies?"

Bella nodded, tears sprinkling down her cheeks. "Yeah," she whimpered.

"Oh, B," breathed Alice, pulling her in for a hug. "That's incredible."

"Are you mad at us for not telling you?" cried Bella. I tensed, ready to defend ourselves.

However, Alice's words put me at ease, "Of course, we're not mad," she explained. "B, I'm guessing you were scared and nervous."

"I'm terrified," admitted Bella, sniffing. "We want these babies so bad."

"And they're okay, right?" quizzed Jasper, moving around the table. "Have you seen Esme, or whoever your doctor is?"

"Yes." I smiled. "We had an appointment this morning with Esme and Victoria Biers."

Passing around our newest ultrasound pictures, Bella and I told them about her appointment this morning, answering the whirlwind of questions they had for us. It wasn't until a trauma came in and they had to rush out that Bella and I managed to be able to take a deep breath. Pulling my wife into my arms, I kissed her once, twice, three times, and sent her off to work. Now, everyone knew we were expecting, and I had to find a way to keep us afloat financially.

**Thank you for all the reviews:) For those who don't know, because I didn't until I looked it up, monozygotic triplets it the technical term for identical triplets. If you haven't yet, go check out The Tomato Soup awards at ****thetomatosoupaward(.)blogspot(.)com. There are a lot of great stories to vote for, including this one for best pregnancy story, Where Love Began for the Jello Award, Taking Chances, and me as a pre-reader.**


	8. Chapter 8

**March 14th BPOV**

"E, move your scrawny ass," bellowed Emmett, picking up my suitcase from next to the front door. Turning, I glared at him. "What?"

"You know he worked last night," I quipped, putting my vitamins in my purse. "Leave him the fuck alone, Em."

Rolling his eyes, he walked out of the apartment, mattering, "Sorry. Everyone's so fucking cranky today."

With a shake of my head, I placed my purse on the counter and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. Cranky or not, he needed to lay off Edward. Knowing my days of being able to work would soon be ending, Edward had started picking up extra shifts, all in an effort to sock away any bits of cash we could. However, at this rate, I'd never get to see my husband. We'd have to make some drastic decisions over the next few weeks, I just wasn't sure what the right ones would be.

"Baby, are you ready?" Edward asked, pulling his shirt on over his head. Water droplets slid down his chest.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling. Handing him one of the bottles, I slid my arm around his waist, trying to get close to him, not an easy task at almost seeing as my belly had grown over the last few days. "Did the shower feel nice?"

"Not as good as it would have if you'd been in there with me," he moaned, dropping his lips to the side of my neck. His hand drifted down over the back of my maternity jeans. "I worried about you all night."

"I was fine," I whispered, tilting my head and laying my hand on his chest. "Just lonely."

Wrapping his other arm around me, Edward nestled me into his arms, just holding me. I hadn't been honest with him; instead of sleeping soundly, I found myself tossing and turning all night. Around three in the morning, my desperation had won out; I slipped off my nightgown, finding one of his t-shirts on top of the hamper. Hugging his pillow to my chest, the combination of the two, helped me to finally drift off, but it'd never replace having him hold me in his arms. I'd spent too many years pining away for him to spend even one night without him.

"Guys," whined Emmett, storming back into our apartment. "I understand that you're two horny motherfuckers, but-"

Emmett clapped his mouth shut when I pulled away from Edward, his eyes locked on the tear stains on Edward's gray t-shirt. Feeling my face heat up, I wiped the moisture from under my eyes, I walked past him. "B..."

"I'm okay," I whispered, unsure why the two words sounded false to me.

Placing my hand on my growing belly, I slowly made my way down the back stairs. With my center of gravity already being compromised, every step could be a potential danger. Jasper, Alice, and Rose were leaning against the black mini-van we'd rented for the trip. I'd been looking forward to the few days we'd planned out of the city. The last few months hadn't been our finest, and I hoped that spending some time together before the babies came would help bring us back to where we used to be.

Sparing them each a small smile, I climbed into the third seat, pulling my seat belt on. A moment later, Edward climbed in next to me, leaning over and kissing my cheek. "I love you," he murmured.

Cupping his cheek, I replied, meaning every word, "I love you, too."

Rose climbed in next, followed closely by Emmett. Looking back at us, he reached out and covered my hand with his, giving me a discreet nod. He'd never understand my fears of losing Edward again, but he'd always be there when I needed a shoulder to cry on, or in this case, a simple smile. Emmett had always been the strongest of my boys.

"Okay, are we ready?" cheered Jasper, climbing in behind the wheel. Turning in his seat, his smile stretched across his face. "No parents."

"No rules," I snickered, thinking back to when Emmett first got his drivers license. The four of us used to joke around about taking off and seeing the world.

"Nothing, but the wide open road," added Edward, sliding his hand across my abdomen.

"And freedom, baby," laughed Emmett, sliding his arm around Rose's shoulder.

Reaching over and attaching her iPod to her wireless adapter, Alice set her new playlist, turning up the sound. Jasper started the van, pulling out into traffic, and heading toward the highway. Leaning over, I laid my head on Edward's shoulder, slipping my arm in with his. With a sigh, I felt my body relax; I was back home.

An hour later, we were on our way to Vermont and Edward had passed out, the fatigue from working the night shift having caught up with him. With his head leaning against window, he snored softly, mouth agape and eyes moving rapidly behind his eyelids. Twisting in my seat, I propped my legs on his lap, trying to find a comfortable position. Not an easy task considering I looked closer to twenty-five weeks than twelve weeks. My babies were making their presence known.

"You okay, B?" Turning in his seat, Emmett smiled. "Do we need to stop and let you stretch?"

"No, I'm fine, " I murmured, blushing when Rose, Alice, and Jasper looked back at me.

"Are you sure?" Jasper turned back to the road, but I saw him raise his eyebrow through the rear view mirror. "You're looking pretty uncomfortable."

His eyes traveled down to my belly, before snapping up to my eyes. "You think I'm fat!" I accused, half crying out and half gasping.

Startled by my outburst, Edward grunted, leaning away from the window. "What's going on?" he groused, thick with sleep.

Jasper opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. "J said I was fat!"

"No, I didn't," he insisted, but stopped speaking with Edward growled and narrowed his eyes at him. "Dude, I didn't say anything about her being fat!"

"See!" I wailed, throwing my hands up. "You do think I'm fat."

"No, I don't, I swear!" he yelled, serving into the other lane.

"J, concentrate on driving the goddamn car," snapped Edward, placing his hand on my shoulder to stop me from hitting the seat in front of us. "Fuck, man, first you call her fat, then you try to kill her." Edward shook his head, shifting his eyes to me. "Baby, you're not fat, just ignore him. He's an asshole."

"I didn't call her fat," muttered Jasper. "I just said she looked uncomfortable and thought maybe she needed me to pull over so she could stretch. Excuse me for being concerned."

"You implied it with your eyes," I spat, placing my feet back on the floor and turning toward the window. "Stupid jerk."

"B, I didn't-"

"J, baby, let it go," Alice said, interrupting him.

With a heavy sigh, he spared me one last look before turning back to the road. Emmett, sensing the added tension inside the van, asked Alice to turn the radio up, which she did. Sliding closer to me, Edward slipped his arm around my shoulders, placing his other hand over my babies bump. Smiling, I leaned toward him, closing my eyes. His touch always made everything better. Resting my head on his shoulder, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep in the arms of the man I'd loved all my life.

I was jarred awake sometime later when I felt the van come to a stop. Sitting up, I stretched and looked around. We were sitting outside a convenience store. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were standing outside the van, chatting while Jasper filled the tank. Climbing past the empty middle seats, I climbed out, feeling my legs ache from the tight space.

"Baby, you okay?" Edward asked, looking over at me.

I nodded. "Just need to pee," I giggled. "Where are Ro and Ali?"

"Grabbing some coffee," replied Emmett, but quickly added, "Though they shouldn't get any, seeing as it's so bad for you."

"Smooth, Em, real smooth," Edward teased, shaking his head.

Rolling my eyes, I left the boys standing there and headed into the small, family owned story. Alice and Rose were standing in front of the coffee. Smiling, I motioned toward the restrooms, indicating I'd be right back. One thing I've learned in my twelve weeks of pregnancy was that when the urge to pee hit, listen to it. With three growing babies putting pressure on my bladder, I'd had several near-misses already and the last thing I needed would be to piss my pants. Especially with Emmett and Jasper around, they'd never let me live it down, babies or not. Washing and drying my hands, I smoothed my shirt over my belly and headed back out to my girls. Grabbing myself a bottle of orange juice, I joined them next to the coffee.

"God, that smells so good," I sighed. Coffee had been more difficult to give up than I thought it would be, but knowing my babies would be better off without it, I'd gladly make the sacrifice for them.

"Doesn't it," Alice agreed, filling her and Jay a cup. "Maybe you should try decaf."

"Ugh, decaf is from the devil." Rose shuddered. "Makes me jittery."

"From the devil, Ro?" I snickered. "Really?"

"Yep." She smirked. "Decaf, broccoli, spinach, and condoms."

"Condoms?" sputtered Alice, trying hard not to laugh.

"Oh, yeah," giggled Rose, leaning closer to the two of us. "Em feels so much better bare."

"Ew," Alice and I laughed.

"Just saying." Shrugging her shoulders, she filled a cup for her and Emmett. "He fills me like no man ever has, or ever will."

Laughing, we paid the little old man behind the register, who had undoubtedly heard our conversation, and headed back out to the van. The wind had picked up, causing the temperature to drop. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around my body, wishing I'd kept my sweater out instead of packing it into my suitcase. Lifting his eyes to mine, Jasper opened his mouth once, but promptly closed it and held open the door to the front seat of the van for me.

"You'll be more comfortable in the front," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"I'm fine in the back."

Huffing, he looked at me. "Will you stop being so fucking stubborn and just get your ass in the front seat? Fuck, I'm trying to help and all you're doing is arguing with me at every turn."

"J!" screeched Alice. All I could do was stare at him, shocked by the harshness in his tone. Had I really been that bad?

With tears filling my eyes, I nodded my head and climbed into the front seat. "Sorry, J," I cried.

Placing his hand on the side of the car, he took a deep breath. "No, I'm sorry, B. I'm just trying to make you more comfortable, and we were thinking that maybe riding in the front would make it a little easier on you and the babies."

"We?" I gasped, turning and looking between him, Emmett, and Edward. "You were talking about me?"

"No, baby," Edward was quick to reply.

"That's not what J just said!" I exclaimed.

"Okay, maybe we were, but only because we're worried," he explained.

Turning back to the front, I reached out for the door. "Well, since you're making my decisions for me, I guess I don't need to do anything anymore."

Before they could reply, I pulled on the door. Jasper jumped back, letting me close it. I put my seat belt one, making sure it fit under my belly. Through the side mirror, I saw Rose and Alice waving their hands toward me, looks of disgust etched on their faces. I understood why the boys felt the need to watch over me, but I was a big girl, capable of deciding for myself what I needed. I'd spent ten years taking care of myself.

Sliding the side door open, Rose and Alice slide into the middle seat, shaking their heads. Without a word, Emmett and Edward climbed into the back seat and Jasper came around, climbing back in behind the wheel. He started the van, pulling back onto the highway. Keeping my eyes locked in front of me, I tried to stop the tears from falling. One of these days, they'd have to accept that all I needed was them to love me and never leave me. Not again, anyway.

Just over two hours later, Jasper pulled the van up in front of a beautiful bed and breakfast. Climbing out, I brought my arms over my head, stretching. Jasper and Alice hadn't been lying when they said the house was beautiful. In fact, they'd been modest. It was gorgeous. The old Dutch Colonial style house had a large, wrap around porch, with several white rocking chairs. Dark red brick, with white trim, the house reminded me of our childhood homes back in Forks.

Sliding his arms around my waist, Edward rested his hands on my belly, pressing his lips to the cusp of my ear. "I know you're mad, but we were only trying to help make me more comfortable."

"I know, but you have to understand that I can make my own decisions, E. I don't like you talking about me behind my back."

Moving in front of me, he leaned his forehead against mine. "We weren't. When you walked into the store, J noticed that you were limping. He wondered if their was enough room in the backseat. I told him we were okay, but he insisted that you should ride in the front. Baby, you know how much he worries about you."

"I do," I murmured, nodding. "Maybe I overreacted."

"Maybe a smidge," he chuckled. "You've got three babies inside your belly, B. It's okay to let us pamper you a little."

"Hmm," I hummed, closing my eyes. "I could do with a little pampering."

"Good, because I plan on spending the next sixty or seventy years pampering you." Closing the distance between us, his pressed his lips against mine, taking my breath away.

"Oy, lovebirds," cackled Rose, placing her hands on each of our shoulders and pulling us apart. "Save it for tonight. We need to check in and, damn it, I'm fucking starving!"

Glaring, I pushed her hand off of me. "Fuck, Ro, do you have to be such a bitch?"

"Yeah, I do." She shrugged her shoulders. "Now, come on. Alice's demanding that we walk in together. Some bullshit about ambiance or I don't know. Just that she's not gonna shut the fuck up until we do as she says."

"Fuck you, Ro," yelled Alice, flipping her the middle fingers.

Throwing my head back, I burst out laughing. "Damn, we're gonna be lucky if they don't send our asses back to the city with the mouths on you two."

"Pot met kettle, bitch," snickered Rose, hooking her arm in with mine and completing ignoring Edward, who laughed with me. "Now, please, come on. I'm seriously ready to gnaw an arm off."

Giving Edward a look, I allowed Rose to lead me up to the porch behind everyone else. Jasper stood with his arms folded in front of him, clearly unsure of what he should say or do. He'd only been trying to help and all I did was bitch him out. My stupid hormones were going to cost me everyone I loved if I wasn't careful.

Reaching out, I took his hand in mine, giving him a pathetic smile. "I'm a bitch."

Struggling to hide his smile, he shook his head. "Yeah, well, I'm an asshole."

Just like that, I knew Jasper and I would be okay. "Sometimes," I giggled, throwing my arm around his neck. "But I love you anyway, asshole."

"Yeah, yeah, I love you, too, you crazy, hormonal bitch."

"Hey, I am not crazy," I jibed. "Hormonal, sure, but crazy? Never!"

"Whatever you say, B," he teased, kissing the side of my head. "Keep telling yourself that, honey, and one day even you might believe that bullshit."

Rolling my eyes, I let go of his hand and followed everyone inside, which was even more breathtaking than the outside. With lots of warm, deep colors, the entry room was cozy and comfortable. The door to the kitchen swung open and a small woman with dark brown hair came out, shifting her eyes between the six of us.

Landing on Jasper and Alice, her smile grew. "I remember you, the couple who got engaged in our gazebo last year."

"You remember us?" Alice's shock didn't go unnoticed by the woman.

"Of course I do. It's not everyday that two people get engaged here." She shook her head, laughing. "Last May, wasn't it?"

"April, actually," replied Alice.

"That's right. You were here during the Biers wedding." The woman waved her hand toward a shelf behind her, gesturing to a wedding picture. "Have you set your date yet?"

"Um, actually, we were married last August," murmured Alice, smiling.

"How wonderful," sighed the woman, dreamily. "Well, it's nice to have you back. Do you have reservations?"

"Yes, under Cullen," Jasper told her. "Three rooms."

"Oh, that's right. I don't know where my heads at right now." Moving behind the small desk, the woman opened a large leather-bound book, running her finger down to the bottom of the page. "You're staying three days, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jasper drawled.

Lifting her eyes up to him, she smiled. "Oh, yes, you're the one who constantly needed reminding not to call me ma'am. It's Ashley, remember?"

"Sorry, I'll try to remember." Jasper's ears turned red while the rest of us laughed under our breaths at him. All of us except Emmett, of course. He made quite the spectacle of himself with the way he doubled over, laughing so hard he could hardly breathe

Ignoring him, Ashley pulled out a couple of forms, handing them to Jasper to fill out. While he did that, I wondered over to the fireplace, looking at an old picture sitting on the mantel. Easily set back in the eighteen hundreds, the man stood behind his wife, who was holding a small boy in her lap. The black and white photo was aged around the edges.

"My great, great, great something grandparents." Startled, I turned and found a man with sparse gray hair and dark brown eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," I muttered, turning back to the photo. "You said they're your family?"

"Yes, on my mother's side. They settled here from Ireland in 1822, without much more than a few dollars and a drive for a better life." Picking up the photo, the man smiled. "His name was Jeremiah, and he built this house for his wife, Theodora, and their son, Claude. It took him the better of thirty years, but he finally finished it just before she passed on from a terrible case of Pneumonia."

"Oh, how sad," I whispered, wiping a tear from my cheek.

"Oh, don't go feeling too sorry for them," chuckled the man, setting the photo back on the mantle. "They lived a long life together, full of laughter and happiness. Jeremiah joined her in heaven a month later. Claude and his wife, June, turned it into a bed and breakfast a few years later. It's been in the family ever since."

"And now, you run it?"

"Oh, lord no," he scoffed, shaking his head and gesturing to Ashley. "My daughter and her fella took over for me a few years back. Just don't have what it takes anymore."

"Daddy, what are you doing out of bed?" scolded Ashley, coming around the dark, oak desk. "Dr. Reynolds told you to rest."

"I did," he groused. "I got bored and saw this pretty little thing admiring that picture."

Sighing, Ashley turned to me. "I'm sorry if he was bothering you. He's supposed to be in bed, but the old goat thinks he doesn't need to rest."

"I don't," grumbled the man. Ashley, glaring at him, gestured to the couch. "Your momma wouldn't tolerate you giving me that look, youngin."

"Yeah, well, Momma wouldn't tolerate you defying the doctor's orders, either, Daddy," she snarked. "You just got out of the hospital, and I really don't want you to go back, so please, just go sit down."

Puckering his lips together, the man nodded his head and headed over to the dark blue sofa. Ashley took a deep breath, turning back to me. "I am so sorry you had to see that. I love my father, but he's a bit stubborn."

"It's okay," I insisted. "Why was he in the hospital? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"Late stage lung cancer," she murmured, bringing her hand up over her mouth. "Never smoked a day in his life, but..."

"Doesn't seem fair, does it?" I whispered.

Shaking her head, Ashley blinked back the tears. "My mother died last year of a stroke, and now my father..." She trailed off. "I'm sorry, this really isn't your problem and the last thing you want is to hear my sob story."

"It's fine," I assured her. "My father... he died last September, so..."

"Well, then, I suppose you understand." Clearing her throat, she turned and headed back to her desk.

Ashley finished checking us in, handing Emmett, Jasper, and Edward the keys to our rooms. Giving us a schedule for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with a menu, she excused herself and went over to her father, sitting on the couch next to him, Sparing the old man a smile, I joined the others, slipping my hand into Edward's. Something about that old man reminded me of my daddy.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I apologize now for the late update, but life is cruel bitch at times. I will try to have a new chapter out in a couple weeks, but I have a lot on my plate right now:)**


	9. Chapter 9

**March 15th BPOV**

The next morning, I woke before the sun had started to rise. Throwing the covers off, I climbed out of bed, tugging on Edward's t-shirt over one of my tank tops and a pair of his shorts. With my growing belly, I barely had enough close that fit and Edward was gracious enough to allow me to dig into his. Personally, I think he just liked the way I looked in his clothes.

Stretching my arms over my head, I padded over to the window, taking a look outside. The horizon was just starting to glow, the start of a new day upon us. Grabbing one of the room keys off the dresser, I walked out of our room, being careful not to wake Edward when I closed the door. He'd fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He worked too hard, but for now, it's all we could do.

Cradling my belly, I took my time walking downstairs. The last thing I needed would be to fall. Just the thought of what could happen sent a sliver of fear through me. The bed and breakfast was quiet. Only a few lamps were on, leaving the majority of the house to the shadows. Stopping in the living room, I took in the avalanche of books that overflowed off the shelves. There had to be at least a thousand books in this room alone.

"You can read one of them if you'd like." Startled by the unexpected voice, I looked over my shoulder, finding the old man leaning against the doorway. He wore a pair of black and red plaid flannel pajama pants and a red t-shirt. "Sorry, I thought you heard me come in."

"No, I was just looking," I murmured. "You have a lot of books."

"Read every single one of them, too," He replied with pride. Walking over to me, he reached up and pulled a dark, leather bound book off the the next to last shelf. "This one's my favorite."

Taking the book from him, I ran my finger down the spine, brushing away the light layer of dust. "A Moment of Truth by Simone Clark." shifting my eyes up to him, I said, "I've never heard of her."

"I'm sure you haven't, young one." He laughed and sat on the sofa with a groan. "She was my wife."

"And she wrote this?" I asked, sitting next to him, placing the book on my lap.

"Yep, just after our daughter was born," he explained. "She loved to write. Said it gave her a place to share her mind with others. After Ashley was born, Simone would scribble whatever she could while she slept, or played. Took her nearly three years, but she finally managed to get it done. Proudest day of her life. I spent the next year trying to get her to send it off to a publisher. She'd convinced herself that it wasn't any good." Pausing, he laughed again. "That was my Simone for you. She never saw herself clearly."

"How'd you convince her to send it in?" I wondered, my eagerness didn't go unnoticed.

"I didn't." He grimaced. "I sent it in for her. Oh, lord, was she mad!"

"I imagine she was," I agreed. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I had faith that she was going to change the world with her words." He smiled. "And she did."

"Did she ever write another book?"

"Several, but this one's my favorite." He leaned back, laying his arm on the back of the sofa.

"What makes this one your favorite?"

"Because she poured her soul into every word," he murmured, looking away. I knew he was thinking about his wife.

Reaching over, I covered his hand with mine. "You miss her, don't you?"

Nodding, his lips trembled when he spoke, "More and more everyday." Shifting his eyes over to me, he smiled. "My daughter told you I'm sick, didn't she?"

"Yes, sir."

He flinched. "Don't call me sir!"

"Sorry," I laughed. "It's habit."

He scoffed. "What do you do, youngin?"

"I'm a doctor."

Sighing, he nodded his head. "Suppose you're going to tell me that I need to keep fighting, too."

"No." He cocked an eyebrow. "Surprised?"

"Yes," he admitted. "My daughter thinks I'm giving up."

"Are you?"

"No, I'm tired." He sighed. "I'm nearly seventy years old. I've lived a long life, experienced my fair share of heartaches and joys. I don't have any regrets."

"None? Not even one mistake you wish you'd never made?"

He smiled. "No, child. Without those mistakes, I wouldn't be the man I am now."

"You have an amazing outlook on life, Mr. Clark," I murmured.

"The name's Thomas." He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "I don't believe I got your name yesterday."

"Bella," I said, shifting on the couch. Placing my other hand on my belly, I sighed.

"How far along are you?"

"Twelve weeks." His eyes popped open, causing me to laugh. "We're having triplets."

"Oh my lord, child." He threw his head back and laughed. "That's something else."

"Tell me about it," I giggled. "I'm not sure it's really sunk in yet."

"I imagine not."

"Daddy, what are you doing out here?" Huffing, Ashley came bustling into the living room. She held her robe together. She shifted her eyes over to me. "I'm sorry if he's bothering you."

"He's not," I insisted, with a shake of my head. "I've enjoyed our conversations." Holding up the book resting on my lap, I added, "He told me about your mother's book."

"Oh, that thing," she scoffed, taking it from me and returning it to the shelf. "He loves to drone on about it."  
>Thomas shifted his eyes to the ground, but I saw the hurt in them. "He's proud of your mother for putting her words out there. He should brag about her."<p>

"Oh, I know, but when you hear about it everyday, you tend to get tired of it." She waved me off and turned back to him. "Come on, Daddy, it's time for you pills."

"Okay, honey," he muttered, standing up. Shifting his attention to me, he smiled, though it didn't feel as real. "It was nice talking to you, Bella. Have a nice day."

Scrambling up to my feet, I placed my hand on his shoulder. "You too, Thomas, and thank your for talking with me."

Wrapping her arm around Thomas, Ashley ushered him down a dark hallway, leaving me standing in the middle of the living room by myself. Rubbing my expanding belly, I walked over and pulled Simone's book off the shelf, hugging it to my chest. With the way Thomas boasted over his late wife's work, I knew he wouldn't mind me reading it. The way he spoke of his Simone reminded me of the way Charlie talked about my mother. He loved Renee with his every breath.

Heading back upstairs, I unlocked the door to our room and stepped inside. Edward was sprawled out on his back, one arm stretched out across the bed and the other covering his eyes. Setting the book on the dresser, I tugged off his shirt, climbing back onto the bed, draping my arm and leg over him. Edward moaned, rolling onto his side.

"Where were you?" he mumbled, his words thick with sleep.

"I was exploring," I whispered, placing a kiss on both of his eyelids. His lips curved upward, but kept his eyes closed. "Aren't you going to wake up?"

"No," he sighed, tightening his arms around me. "I'm having the best dream."

"What are you dreaming about?" I asked.

"I'm holding the most beautiful woman in my arms," he started. "She has long brown hair, and a beautiful smile, but really get me, are her eyes."

"What is it about her eyes?"

"They're deep and sensual. They see things that nobody else sees." His eyelids fluttered open. "Good morning."

"Morning." I smiled, my cheeks heating. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Until I woke up and you weren't here," he murmured, kissing the tip of my nose.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went downstairs to look around. Thomas, the older man from yesterday, told me all about his wife, who wrote several books. Just the way he talked about her, it was beautiful. He's so in love with her, E." Edward's smile grew with each word that I spoke. Dropping my eyes from his, I bit my lip. "Guess, I sound a little silly, don't I?"

He shook his head, placing his finger under my chin and tilting my head back. "Sounds like you really like Thomas."

"He reminds me of Charlie," I whispered, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I miss him so much."

For the next hour, Edward and I stayed wrapped in each other's arms, both of us sharing our favorite stories of my father. Laughing, he rambled on about how Charlie tried to teach him how to throw a curve ball, or the time that Carlisle got called away to the hospital right before the boys were supposed to go camping.

They'd been so disappointed, but tried to understand that Carlisle had to work. Charlie insisted on taking them himself, saying that when Carlisle could get off, he'd meet them there. We were ten and I remember taking on the front porch watching them drive away with tears pouring down my face, because I hadn't been allowed to go. Charlie said it was a boys weekend and next time I could go. Carlisle ended up driving out there at two in the morning, scaring the shit out of the boys when he showed up. They ran off into the woods, stumbling into some poison ivy. They came home with large, red patches all over their arms, legs, and faces. Esme and Renee feel out laughing, making a comment about boys weekend going to hell. Charlie just shrugged his shoulders and said it'd been one of the best weekends in his life.

That was my father for you, though. He looked for the best in every situation, trying to find at least one positive thing to say about it. Charlie Swan was ever the optimist. Maybe that's what got him killed.

"Let's go shower and then we'll go get something to eat," Edward murmured, brushing his lips across mine.

"Okay." Climbing off the bed, Edward slipped his arms under my knees and behind my back, lifting me out of the bed. I threw my arms around him, giggling. "E!"

"What? I want to carry my pregnant wife into the bathroom. Is that a crime?" He waited for my answer, staring down at me with pure love in his eyes.

"I'm too heavy," I muttered, knowing I'd gained weight.

"Nonsense," he scoffed.

Edward carried me into the bathroom, setting me down on the vanity. Turning on the shower, he reached for the bottom of my tank top, slipping it over my head. His eyes dropped down to my swollen breasts, a throaty moan pulsated from his chest. The lust and hunger that poured out of him turned me on. Knowing that he only felt that way when he looked at me, had me trembling with need and want. Edward was mine, only mine.

Reaching out, he brushed his fingers over my nipples. My head fell backward. The feel of his touch had me reeling inside. "You're so fucking beautiful, B. Every day I watch your body changing with our babies, and I fall that much more in love with you."

Lowering his lips down to my breast, sucking my nipple into mouth. My hand found it's way up to the back of his head, gripping his hair between my fingers. Leaning back, I arched into him, silently begging him to keep touching me. I needed him.

"E," I panted, shuddering at the feel of his hands on my thighs. Slowly creeping their way up my legs, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my shorts, slipping into my panties, too.

Lifting his eyes up to mine, he murmured, "Lift up."

Lowering my hands to the counter, I pushed myself up. Edward pulled them over my hips and down my legs. Letting them fall to the floor, he placed his hands on my thighs again. He dropped to his knees in front of me, propping my feet up on his shoulders. Peppering kisses upward, he nipped and sucked his way to where I needed him.

Snaking his tongue out, he tasted me, moaning. "Oh, fuck, B."

"More," I stammered, lifting my hips toward him. "Please, baby, more!"

"With pleasure," he groaned, attacking my pussy with his mouth.

The pleasure that soared through my body had me shaking. He parted my folds with his fingers, slipping them deep inside of me. I could barely hold myself up. Struggling to keep from grabbing the back of his head and grinding myself against his eager tongue, I threw my hand up, slamming it against the mirror behind me. Sensitive from the hormones ravaging my body, I knew it wouldn't take me long to find my release. Edward sucked and licked at me, manipulating my tender flesh.

"Let go, baby," he urged, thrusting his fingers inside of me.

"E," I whimpered, curving my nails into my palm.

"B, baby, now," Edward ordered, bringing his mouth to my clit. Crying out a string of four letter words, I fell over the edge, letting my climax wash over me.

Edward moved my feet from his shoulders, setting them on the edge of the vanity. In one fluid motion, he had his pajama pants and underwear pooling at his feet. Stroking himself a few times, he placed the tip of his cock at my entrance, slowly filling me.

"Oh, holy motherfucker," he groaned, placing his hands on my hips. "How can you always feel so fucking good, B?"

My words got stuck in my throat. All I could do was moan, thrusting toward him, which was not easy to do in my position. Tightening his grip on me, Edward set a steady pace, being careful not to hurt me. I braced myself against the mirror, relishing in the feel of him taking me; he owned my body just like he owned my soul.

Sliding his arm under me, he planted his other hand up next to my head, pounding into me faster and harder. I could tell he was struggling to hold his climax off. His chest was heaving and his jaw clenched tight. Slipping my hand down between my legs, I found my clit, manipulating it. Edward's eyes dropped to where we were connected.

"Oh, fuck, B," he hissed, slamming into me. "Watching you touch yourself, it's such a fucking turn on."

"E, hurry," I pleaded, working myself into a frenzy.

He groaned, nearly lifting me off the vanity when he increased his thrusts. Throwing my head back, I bit my lip, stifling the scream that slipped to the edge of my lips. Grunting under his breath, Edward's hips were moving frantically. He shuddered, allowing a low, throaty, "Fuck," to slip out of his mouth, before he stilled his hips. His release sent me over the edge and I came again, digging my nails into his arm.

"Jesus fucking shit," he panted, resting his forehead on my shoulder. I could feel his breath wafting over my skin. Laughing, I brought my hand up to his hair, running my fingers through his damp locks. "What's so funny?"

"We've probably wasted all the hot water," I giggled.

Lifting his eyes up to mine, he smirked. "A cold shower might feel good right now, baby."

"Maybe," I murmured, brushing my lips against his. "Just maybe."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry for the delay, but yeah, it's been a busy time. If you want to see the new cover for the new book I'm releasing with two of my besties, Laura Braley and Michele Richard, head over to my Facebook page and check it out. Now, I am going to do my best to get updates out faster, but I have a lot of work to do and I want to make sure that I don't take away from the story by rushing too much. Please, be understanding. Thanks again and I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!**


	10. Chapter 10

**March 15th BPOV**

An hour later, Edward and I had managed to shower, even though the water had turned icy cold. He insisted on carrying me back into our room, stating that I was precious cargo. Even though he was being completely ridiculous, I gave in to him and. Once we were dressed, we headed downstairs. Edward kept his hand on the small of my back and one in front of me, prepared to catch me if I fell. He was my silly, overly-protective husband and I wouldn't have him any other way. He needed to take care of me and I needed to him to hold me, or us. He was my world; our babies and I were his.

We walked into the dining room, finding Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett already at the table. Settling at the table next to Emmett, I said, "Good morning."

"Morning, B." Emmett watched while I filled my plate with pancakes, fruit, toast, and bacon. A lot of bacon. "Um, how'd you sleep?"

I shrugged my shoulders and popped a grape into my mouth. "Okay, I guess. It was too quiet here. I'm used to the sound of the city, I guess." I looked over at him. "How about you?"

"Like a baby," he laughed, dropping his eyes down to my plate.

"Get your own damn food," I snarked, sliding my arm around my plate protectively.

"What?" he gasped, leaning away from me. "B, I don't want your food."

"Then why are you staring at it?" I scooted my plate away from him. A girl couldn't be too careful when it came to protecting what was hers.

"No reason," he muttered.

However, I saw right through him. My lips trembled when I spoke again, "You think I'm fat."

"What?" he sputtered, his eyes flying open. Dead silence surrounded us. "No, I don't."

Yet, he spoke too quickly. "Yes, you do," I whimpered, pushing away from the table. "I can see it in your eyes. You think I am a big ole fat pig, just stuffing her face."

"No, I don't," he insisted, reaching for me, but I picked up my plate and scooted away from him. "B!"

"Well, I'm sorry that you think I am so disgusting, Em," I cried, spinning on my heel and leaving them sitting there, staring at me with their mouths agape. "I'm just hungry."

I pushed through the doors to the kitchen, finding Thomas sitting at a smaller table. Pausing in the doorway for a second, I ducked my head and took the seat next to him, picking up a slice of bacon and nibbling off the edge. He didn't say anything about what he'd undoubtedly just heard. A moment later, the door opened and Edward came in with his own plate.

He sat down next to me, leaning over and kissing my cheek. "You know he didn't mean anything, don't you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Guess so, but he was staring at me."

"Because you're so beautiful," Edward chuckled, smiling against my skin. My face heated from his attention. "You're killing me with that innocent act today."

"Sorry," I whispered, not really meaning it. Thomas cleared his throat in an effort to disguise his laughter. Turning my attention to him, I gave him a pointed look. "Mind your own business, old man."

"You're just so cute together," he snickered, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, my Simone hated it when people rolled their eyes."

"So did my dad." I smiled. "I used to do it just to piss him off."

"Somehow, little one, that doesn't surprise me." Laughing, he pushed away from the table and stood up. He placed his coffee cup in the sink before walking out, leaving us sitting there.

"I can see why you like him," Edward murmured, drawing my attention to him. "He's a lot like Charlie."

"He's dying," I whispered, leaning my head on my husband's shoulder. "He's refusing to fight because he's ready to be with his wife again."

"I'm sorry." Edward wrapped his arm around me, pressing his lips to the top of my head. "He must miss her a lot."

"Yeah." Sighing, I shifted back into my seat and looked down at my plate. "Why did I get so much food?"

"Because you're hungry," Edward chuckled, picking up my fork and cutting me off a chunk of pancakes. "Open up."

"I can feed myself," I huffed, trying to take the utensil from him. Edward, however, pulled it away from me. "E!"

He smirked. "Open your mouth, baby."

Even though he was being silly, I did as he asked and let him feed me. Spearing a slice of strawberry, he brought it to my lips, moaning when I sucked it off the end of the fork and into my mouth. Two could play this game. If he wanted to feed me, I'd let him, but I'd make sure to get him worked up in the process. Snaking my tongue out, I swiped it along my bottom lip. Edward shifted in his seat and dropped my fork on my plate. Victory was mine.

"You're a goddamn tease," he murmured, before leaning over and kissing me. "I fucking love you for it."

Threading my fingers into his hair, I brought his lips back down onto mine. My food laid forgotten, the only thing I wanted to devour was my husband. Yet, before I could do more than deepen our kiss, the door to the kitchen swung open. I pulled my lips from Edward's and found Emmett standing there looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"What?" I groused, leaning back in my seat and placing my hands on my belly.

"I wanted to apologize," he mumbled, shifting his attention to the floor

"For what?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

Emmett snapped his head over to me. "Because of out there," he exclaimed, gesturing to the dining room.

I laughed and took a bite of my pancakes. "Don't worry about it," I replied, my words muffled from the food stuffed inside. "You can't help, but be an ass. It's okay."

Opening and closing his mouth several times, Emmett brought his hand up, running through his hair. "Well, okay. When you're done, Ali and Ro wanted me to tell you that you're going shopping in town with them." Groaning, I leaned back in my seat. "Take it out on them, not me."

Before I could reply, he hustled out of the kitchen. Edward burst out laughing. "Oh, baby, you have him running scared."

"Good." I smirked, standing up. "It'll teach him to think before he gawks at the pregnant woman."

Brushing my lips across his, I left him laughing under his breath at his brother. When I walked back into the dining room, Emmett was leaned toward Jasper, Alice, and Rose, surely telling them how I was completely losing it. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I cleared my throat, pulling their attention to me. Emmett flinched back into his seat, gulping loudly.

"Em said something about shopping?"

Rose and Alice shared a look before standing up. Though they both looked nervous about what to say, Alice was the first to speak. "We were thinking it might be nice to go into town and check out some of the local shops. They have some really nice places."

"Only if you're feeling up to it, of course," Rose added, quickly.

I shrugged my shoulders, smiling when Edward draping his hands on my belly. "Sure, sounds good. Been awhile since the three of us went shopping together."

Rose and Alice sighed in relief. I didn't understand why they were so nervous. It's not like I normally threw a fit about going shopping with them. Edward headed upstairs to our room to grab my sweater and purse, saying something about not wanting me to fall on the stairs. God, how I loved that man and his need to take care of us.

The boys walked us out to the van. Edward slipped his arms around my waist, leaning his forehead against mine. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"E, we're just shopping," I giggled. He narrowed his eyes. "Okay, I promise."

"Good," he murmured, before looking at Rose and Alice. "If she gets tired, make her sit down for a few minutes. I have my cell on me."

"Okay, E," they chimed together, giving him a sweet smile.

Snorting, he turned back to me. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered, before brushing my lips across his one more time.

With a heavy sigh, I tore myself out of his arms and climbed into the van. Rose was driving while Alice sat in the passenger seat. Once we had our seatbelts on, Rose headed into town. She parked in a small lot just off main street. Placing my hand on my belly, we climbed out and headed toward the shops. The small town of Arlington, Virginia had a very old school feel to it. It was cozy and warm, a sense of family and togetherness filled the air. It was quaint; the kind of place one might raise a family.

"Oh, let's go in here," Alice chirped, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward a small antique shop.

"Okay, okay, just stop tugging on me," I laughed.

"Sorry," she whispered, releasing my hand. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," I scoffed. "I really wish you'd stop tiptoeing around my feelings all the time. It's not like I'm this fragile little flower who's going to break at the drop of a hat." Alice shifted her eyes behind me to Rose. Turning, I noticed her struggling not to laugh. "What are you two trying to say?"

"Um, that you've been a bit nuts," Rose scoffed. Alice cringed, but didn't deny that she felt the same as Rose.

"No, I'm not," I muttered.

She sighed. "B, sweetie, you lashed out at J on the drive up yesterday because he asked if you were comfortable. Then this morning, you chewed Em's ass out for looking at your food. That ain't normal, sweet-cheeks."

I frowned. "Have I really been that bad?"

"Yes," she replied, "but it's understandable considering the fact that you're carrying three babies. Your hormones have to be raging out of control."

"Yeah, I guess," I mumbled, turning away from her. Bringing my hand up, I tried to brush away my tears discretely.

"B, I'm sorry," Rose fretted, wrapping her arms around me from behind. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"No, it's okay," I cried. "Just didn't think that I'd been that bad. I'm just tired, you know? And E's been working so much. I just...I don't know, I guess I'm just a big fucking bitch."

"Maybe I'm just making it out to be more than what it is," she said, but we both knew she didn't mean her words.

"You lie for shit, Ro," I muttered, pulling myself out of her arms. "I've been one of those crazy, hormonal nutcase and taking it all out on J and Em. God, how can you even stand to be around me!"

"Because even though you're a little...eccentric right now, we love you," Alice giggled, hooking her arm in with mine. "Don't worry about those silly boys. It's good to keep them on their toes."

Rose smirked. "Fuck, if I didn't keep Em on his toes that boy would be in all sorts of trouble."

I laughed. "Oh, believe me, Ro, I know. The things he'd get us into when we were little."

"I don't want to know!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "I love him, but sometimes, I wonder how he made it out of his childhood."

"It wasn't easy, Ro," I snickered.

"Okay, enough mushy shit," Alice grumbled, earning her a disapproving glare from an older woman who walked past us. "Let's go shopping!"

I followed Rose and Alice into the small antique store. We took our time digging through the shelves of blue glass bottles and old cast iron skillets. Each item had a history and I found myself wondering what they were. Were these the tools a young mom used to make her family dinner every night? Placing my hand on my belly, I headed up the small staircase that led up to the balcony. There were hundreds of racks of clothes; some easily dating back to the twenties at least.

However, it wasn't until I weeded my way though a rack of men's shirts that I saw the most incredible discovery. Tucked away in a corner was an old cradle made of pine. The bars were curved and there were hand-carved etching on the end pieces. It was incredible.

"B, what are you doing up here?" Alice asked, walking up behind me, but before I could reply, she gasped. "Oh, wow, that's so beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," I murmured, running my hand across the side bar. Letting my hand drop to my side, I turned back to her. "Ready to head to the next store?"

"Sure," she said, quietly.

With one look back at the cradle, I followed Alice down the stairs, ignoring the disapproving glare on Rose's face. I wasn't supposed to even think about going up a flight of stairs on my own. Giving her my most angelic smile, I hooked my arm in with hers. She rolled her eyes, but smiled. She couldn't stay mad at me. Besides, it's not like I wasn't a big girl. I understood everyone's fears, but I had a lot way to go before my babies would make their entrance in this world.

For the next couple of hours, we made our way through the shops, giggling over the feather earrings Alice bought and the silky red, lace panty and bra set Rose picked out. While they both indulged in their shopping spree, I didn't. Edward and I were already struggling to pay our bills and student loans off. Now that my work load had been cut in half, we had to be smarter about what we splurged on. Plus, we had three babies to provide for and we hadn't even began to look at what we'd need.

"We'd better head back to the boys," Rose announced as we came out of a little book store. "Who knows what kind of trouble they've gotten themselves into."

"Yeah," I replied, trying to stifle my yawn.

"We wore you out, didn't we?" Alice fretted.

"It doesn't take much anymore," I giggled, caressing my belly. "These three are already a handful."

"What's it like?" she wondered, hooking her arm in with mine as we headed back toward the van. "Having three babies growing inside of you."

"Weird," I said, honestly. "I don't know that I've fully processed the fact that there are actually three babies in there."

"I can't even imagine," Rose murmured, falling into step with us.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up in front of bed and breakfast. Before we even had a chance to open the doors to the van, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper rushed out. Apparently, they were a little eager. Edward helped me out, wrapping his arm around my waist as we joined everyone at the back. Alice and Rose thrust their purchases into their husbands' arms.

"Did you not find anything you liked?" Edward asked as we followed them inside.

"Not really," I lied, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. "Think I am going to go lay down. I'm exhausted."

"Want me to come with you?" He wondered, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

I put on my best smile and shook my head. "That's okay. Just wake me in a couple hours."

"I love you," he whispered, kissing me.

"I love you, too."

Being careful, I made my way up the stairs and into our room. I kicked off my shoes and pants before climbing in under the covers. There was so much for us to do before the babies came and I wasn't sure how we'd be able to make it all work. Hugging Edward's pillow to my chest, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of that cradle.

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	11. Chapter 11

**March 15th EPOV**

I waited until I heard the door to our bedroom close before I turned toward the others. They were sitting in the living room, sorting through the armful of purchases that Rose and Alice had carried in. Running a frustrated hand through my hair, I went over and sat on the hearth of the fireplace. I should have seen this coming. She'd been so stressed over money. Hell, so was I. With student loans and three babies on the way, we were barely able to keep our heads above water. That was without having to pay rent on our apartment. James and Laurent refused to accept our money, insisting that we needed it more. They were right. Now that Bella wasn't able to work as much, we were feeling the strain even more.

"E, are you okay?" Rose asked, pulling my attention to her.

I smiled, trying to make it seem real. "I'm fine. So you had fun?"

"We did," Alice chirped. "I just hope we didn't wear B out too much."

"She was a little tired." I shrugged my shoulders. "What all did you look at?"

"Oh, there were so many little stores downtown. First, we went to this adorable little antique shop. They had everything from old dishes to some of the most incredible furniture." She smiled dreamily. "In fact, B seemed quite taken by something she found."

"What?" I asked, my eagerness causing her to giggle. "Ali, tell me!"

"Okay, just calm down," she snickered. "B seemed to be taken by a cradle that she stumbled on. I have to admit it was amazing."

"She really liked it?" I wondered, mostly talking to myself.

"No, I think she loved it," Alice murmured.

Nodding, I pushed myself off the hearth and walked over to Rose, holding my hand out. "Keys."

She stood up, digging them out of her back pocket. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to go buy my wife the cradle that I know she won't buy for herself," I explained, slipping the key-ring off her finger.

Rose smiled. "Good"

"I'll be back. Don't wake her up unless it's an emergency."

Damn near giddy, I bustled out of the bed and breakfast, a wake of hysterical laughter following me out. I didn't really give a shit, though. Bella gave up too much, always willing to put everyone else first. It was time for her to get something in return. Hoping in behind the wheel, I headed into town.

Then and Now Antiques was just how Alice and Rose described it, a quaint little shop that made a person feel like they'd jumped back in time. Pushing open the door, a small, silver bell chimed over my head. Half a dozen people loitered around inside, admiring the blue glass bottles and the cast iron skillets.

"Hello." I shifted my attention over to an older lady with thinning salt and pepper hair. She had to be close to eighty, yet her demeanor was of someone half her age. "You look lost."

"Oh." I smiled. "Actually, maybe you can help me. My wife was in here early with a couple of women. She found a cradle, and I was hoping it was for sale."

"Hmm, let me see," she murmured, heading over to a small staircase. Gripping the railing tightly, she took one step at a time. I followed her up. She led me over to a rack of old clothes, pushing it out of the way. "Is this the cradle she was looking at?"

Stepping around her, I knew in an instant that it had to be. The pine cradle had to be at least five decades old. Both ends had handcrafted etchings; an intricate design that reminded me of old Celtic markings. Taking a deep breath, I stepped passed the woman and knelt down next it. I ran a hand over the side rails, blinking back the tears burning the corners of my eyes. I could our babies sleeping in here, tucked away at the bottom of our bed.

"It's incredible," I murmured. "Do you know the history behind it?"

"I should. My husband built it himself," she replied, a tint of laughter in her words. I looked up at her. "Henry was a carpenter. When he found out I was expecting our first child, he went out and cut down the biggest tree on our land. For weeks, he'd spend every moment he could to shape it, sand it, and draw on the details on the end." She placed a hand on my shoulder and knelt next to him. Her other hand ran over the etchings. "Our family's crest."

"It's incredible. He seems to be quite the craftsman."

She sighed, nodding her head. "He was until his hands began to ache too much. Arthritis crippled him, robbing him of passion." She pushed herself up to her feet, using my shoulder as leverage. I hurried to stand next to her, prepared to grab her before she fell. Placing her hand on her chest, she gave me a wistful smile. "Over the years, this cradle held four of my own little ones and more than a dozen of my grandchildren, along with two great-grandchildren."

I laughed. "That's some family tree."

"That it is, young man." She patted him on the shoulder. "Now, tell me what brought you down here in search of this old thing."

"My wife, Bella was in here before with two of our friends. I believe she wanted this cradle, but didn't feel she should buy it. You see, we're expecting triplets at the end of the summer," the woman gasped, "and she's worried about how we'll be able to afford them with her only working part time. I've tried reassuring her that we'll find a way to manage, but she worries a lot. The last couple of years…" I took a deep breath, shaking my head. "Well, more like the last fifteen years haven't been the easiest on her or me either. Because of her worries, she'll sacrifice what she wants for what is more practical, but that's not fair to her." Pausing once again, I blinked several times, trying to stifle my tears. "Ma'am, I want to be able to give her everything she dreams of, because she's giving me the greatest gift by carrying our babies."

"Wow," she murmured, shifting her attention back to the cradle. "It sounds like you love your wife very much, young man."

"She's been my everything for as long as I can remember," I explained. "I know this is a lot to ask, and I'll completely understand if you tell me no, but is there any way that you'd be willing to sell your cradle to me?"

She took a sharp breath and turned her attention back to the furniture. It was clear that the piece still held a special place in her heart, and I hated to even ask, but Bella was worth taking the chance for. She'd been through hell with the loss of her father, our first child, and almost losing our lives. Bella deserved the moon and the stars, heaven and earth.

Lifting her hand up to her trembling lips, she turned her eyes to mine, tears filling her dark blue orbs. Guilt filled me for even asking, but then she spoke, "Only if you promise me something."

"Anything," I vowed, knowing I meant the simple promise.

"So quick to agree," she giggled, brushing a tear off her cheek. "I don't know you from Adam, young man, but you remind me of my Henry. Now, I loved my husband with entire being, I still do. I need to know that if I give you a part of him, a part of us, that you're going to love your wife with all your being, and that you're going to love your children with all your heart."

Nodding my head quickly, I felt my own tears sprinkle down my checks. "Ma'am, I've been in love with her since I was twelve. Our story has been filled with forks in the road that could have torn us apart, but we've held strong and overcame a lot to get to this point. See, Bella's my world and our babies…" I trailed off, bringing my hand up to cover my mouth. "Our babies are a gift from heaven, sent down to heal our hearts."

The woman before me smiled. "I hear the truth in your words, young man. The cradle is yours, if you want it."

"Thank you so much," I gushed, sounding a little too much like Alice when she got excited about something. I dug my wallet out of my back pocket. "How much?"

"You misunderstand," she replied. "The cradle is yours."

"You can't just give it to me," I sputtered. "I insist on paying you for it."

"No, now don't argue with me," she said sternly. "My Henry believed that when we needed help, God would lead us to those who could give us what we needed. Young man, I believe that God sent you and your wife here to my shop. Please accept this as a gift from me and Henry."

My words failed me, dying out in my throat, so I answered her in the only way I could: a simple nod of my head. People like her didn't exist, not in the real world anyway. With a smile, she motioned for me to follow her back down to the main floor. She walked behind a large oak counter, placing her hand on the back of a boy who couldn't have been much older than sixteen.

"Dylan, will you please bring the cradle down from upstairs while I get this young man settled?"

"Yes, Gran," he muttered, not sounding too pleased to be doing it. Shuffling past me, he started stomping up the stairs.

"Excuse my great-grandson. His father is forcing him to work off some charges on his cell phone," she explained, digging out a sales slip from under the counter. "Now, let me get this written out for you and I can send you on your way."

"I know I've already asked for a lot, but is there any way I can get this shipped back to New York?" I asked, wary of pushing my luck.

"Of course," she said, smiling wider. Reaching under the counter again, she pulled out another form. "I make it a practice to be prepared seeing as we get a lot of city folk in here."

"Thank you. I really want to surprise her."

Twenty minutes later, I walked out of Then and Now Antiques with a sales slip and a delivery slip in my pocket. While Mrs. Roberts, as she insisted I call her, refused to allow me to pay her anything for the cradle, I drew the line on the cost of delivery. I couldn't ask her to wave that fee, knowing it was already costing her a pretty penny by giving me the cradle. Walking back to the van, I dug my cell phone out of my back pocket, sending James a quick text letting him know that I over-nighted a package to him. He'd do just about anything for Bella.

I parked the van back outside of the bed and breakfast, damn near skipping up to the porch. Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rose were sitting on the far end of the large wrap around, sipping on some lemonade. I bit back the jealously that flared up inside of me at the ease of their relationships. They've always been there for us, trying to give us whatever support they could, but they didn't understand the fear we lived with every day. Both Bella and I had fought our way through hell on our journey to find happiness.

"Did you get it?" Jasper asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Yep, having it shipped back to the city," I replied. "Now, I just need to find two more and everything will be perfect."

Leaving them sitting on the porch, I headed inside. Ashley was sitting behind her desk, working on a stack of paperwork. In the living room, Thomas was lying on the sofa, book propped up on his knees. He shifted his eyes to mine, smiling before giving me a gentle nod. It was an unspoken gesture of trust. In the few minutes that he'd spent with my wife, he'd grown to care for her. Perhaps he saw a bit of his beloved in her.

I took the stairs two at a time, stopping just outside of our bedroom. Opening the door slowly, I stepped inside, turning toward her. Bella was lying on the bed, a blanket pulled up over her legs and hugging my pillow to her chest. Her hand rested on her belly, caressing our babies. Kicking my shoes off, I climbed onto the bed next to her, tugging the pillow out of her arms. Bella moaned, rolling onto her back. She stretched an arm over her head. God, she'd never looked more beautiful.

"What time is it?" she mumbled, yawning widely.

"Just after three," I whispered, sliding my hand on to her belly. A smile slipped over her lips. "Do you feel better?"

She breathed deeply before opening her eyes. "A little. It just doesn't take much to wipe me out anymore."

"Well, you are kind of busy housing these three," I teased. She laughed, sounding more carefree than I've heard her in months.

Her head flopped to the side and she brought her hand up, stroking my cheek. "You're beautiful."

"Aren't I supposed to say that to you?" I scoffed.

"You tell me all the time, but I don't return the compliment the way I should," she whispered, rolling onto her side. "Forgive me for being so thoughtless?"

"There's nothing to forgive, baby." I smiled. Leaning in, I gave her a kiss. A wistful sigh slipped out of her mouth as her lips parted. Her body melted into mine, curving around me as much as she could. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she murmured. Before she could say anything else, her stomach growled at me. She gasped, her cheeks turning red. I threw my head back and laughed. "E!"

"I'm sorry, baby, but you look so cute. Are you hungry?" Bella bit her lip, nodding her head sheepishly. "Come on, let's go feed our babies."

Climbing off the bed, I scooped her up, placing a kiss on her lips before setting her on her feet. Bella giggled, sending a chill running through my system. Once she had her pants back on, and it was hard watching her putting them on, I took her hand in mine and led her back downstairs.

Ashley had left her seat at the desk, but Thomas was still on the sofa. A smile spread over Bella's face as she went over and sat down next to him. They began chatting about the book he was reading. I headed into the kitchen, searching for some food for Bella. Pushing open the door, I found Ashley standing in front of the sink, a hand covering her mouth as she cried silently. Before I could leave her alone, she looked over at me, quickly wiping away her embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"No, it's fine," she sniffed. "What can I do for you?"

"Um," I started, but hesitated.

"Dr. Cullen, what can I do for you?" she asked again.

"I—I was just looking for a snack for my wife," I mumbled. "I'm sorry, I'll take her into town, see if we can find someplace."

She put her hand up, taking a deep breath. "It's fine. I was just about to pull some homemade cookies out of the oven."

I nodded. "Can I help?"

Her smile dropped. "Can you cure cancer?"

"No," I replied. "I wish I could."

"Me too," she muttered, picking up two oven mitts and pushing her hands into them. "He's weak. Every day is getting harder on him." She opened the oven door, pulling out the cookie sheet with a dozen chocolate chip cookies. Setting in on top of the stove, she grabbed a spatula, but didn't start pulling them off yet. "I'm selfish, I guess. I don't want to lose my father."

"That doesn't make you selfish," I said, drawing her attention to me. "Losing the people we love is never easy."

"Is that your professional advice, Dr. Cullen?" she groused.

"It's Edward, and, no, it's my personal." I cleared my throat. "Last September my wife's father was killed in the line of duty. He—he was a second father to me."

"But he wasn't your father," she snarked.

"No, but losing him nearly destroyed my wife. You see, there was a time when I couldn't be there for her. Charlie, well, he took care of her, making sure she was okay. It wasn't easy on him, watching her cry and hurt, but every night he held her because that's what daddies do."

Ashley placed her hands on the side of the oven, her shoulders shaking as she wept. I wanted to comfort her, but I knew nothing I said, or did would help. The door to the kitchen opened and I looked back, finding Thomas and Bella coming in with huge smiles on their faces. Thomas shifted his attention from me to his daughter, his smile dropping. Without a word, he crossed the room, enveloping her in his arms.

"Shhh, honey," he whispered. "I've got you."

"Daddy," she cried, gripping the back of his shirt. Turning toward Bella, I slipped my hand into hers and led her back through the door, leaving Ashley and Thomas to grieve together.

**Thank you for all the reviews. This chapter hit my heart. Check out my profile for the links on where to find my new Valentine's Day Anthology, Life is More Than Candy Hearts. It's available on Amazon, Smashwords, soon to be on Barnes and Noble, and on paper back soon, too. **


	12. Author's Note

It's with a heavy heart that I announce that I am taking a break from Fan Fiction. I love writing, it's who I am and what I do, but lately I've struggled to balance both my professional work and my fanfiction stories. With looming deadlines on the horizon, I feel it would be best for me to take some time off and focus on getting my books done.

I have two books due in the next few months, a second installment to our just released publication The Candy Collection and an independent novel that I've been writing for months, if not close to a year now. In order for me to give them the attention and hard work they deserve, I have to take a step back and focus on what I have to do. Therefore, I am officially taking a vacation until May 1st.

However, I am not leaving the fandom altogether. You can still PM me here, or find me on Facebook. All of my stories will be completed as I've made a commitment to them and you, my readers, to give you the best I can. I appreciate all your support and I hope that you will understand why I need to take this break.


	13. Chapter 12

**March 16th BPOV**

Once again, I awoke the next morning before the sun had completely risen and wandered downstairs. Instead of settling in the living room like I had the previous day, I filled one of Ashley's white porcelain cups with some hot tea and headed for the gazebo. I longed for the taste of rich coffee, but my babies were worth the sacrifice. Knowing it would be chilly, I took a blanket with me, settling on one of the benches that stretched around the inner walls.

After Ashley had fallen apart in her father's arms, the six of us decided they needed some privacy and headed into town for dinner and a movie. In our line of work, we've had to deal with grieving families before, but it was never easy. I knew from my own experience of losing Charlie the pain that seeped into ones soul. I didn't want Ashley to go through that, but the facts were clear: Thomas was dying and she was going to lose her father.

"B, what are you doing out here?" At the sound of Emmett's voice, I looked over my shoulder, finding him and Jasper standing at the edge of the gazebo.

Trying to be discreet, I wiped my tear off my cheek. "Couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake E. He's been working so much lately. He needs his rest."

"Yeah, he's been busy," Jasper said, sitting at my feet. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around my ankles, pulling my legs across his lap. "Does that feel okay?"

I smirked. "It'd feel a hell of a lot better if you started to rub them."

"Ha, you wish," he scoffed, yet he started giving me a foot massage anyway.

Emmett walked over to the far side of the gazebo and rested his hand on one of the beams. Sighing, he said, "It's too quiet here. I need the noise from the city, the energy that flows around us."

"The sirens from when the ambulance zooms by the townhouse," I giggled. He laughed and looked back at me. "I kind of like it here, though. It's peaceful and serene. Almost reminds me of Forks, without the rain of course."

Emmett shrugged his shoulders. "Guess I've been in the city too long. Between Chicago and New York, I don't know that I could settle down in a place like this at all."

"Nobody is asking you to, Em," I replied.

"No, I know," he said, waving his hand in the air. "Just mouthing off, I guess."

"You? Mouth off?" I scoffed. "Never!"

"I know, right?" He laughed and sat on one of the benches, his long legs stretched out in front of him. "You'd be surprised how many people call me a smartass, though."

"No, we wouldn't," Jasper and I said at the same time.

Laughing, Jasper added, "Yeah, dude, or did you forget all the times that Esme threatened to watch your mouth out with soap for the shit you said."

"Eh, she was so sensitive," Emmett snickered. "Unlike Renee. Now that woman could throw down with the best of us."

"Until you started crying about her being mean," I teased. Emmett started to protest, but stopped when I put my hand up. "You never could take her taunting you. You used to complain that she was picking on you."

He shrugged. "She was mean. Charlie always stood up for me, though."

I smiled and looked away. "Yeah, he did."

"You okay, B?" Jasper asked.

I nodded, though the tears in my eyes betrayed me and sprinkled down my cheeks. "It's just hard. I miss him so much."

"I miss him, too," Jasper said, reaching over and taking hold of my hand. "But Charlie wouldn't want you to wallow away. You know that, right?"

"Course I do, J, but it's not easy," I muttered. "When you all left, Charlie was the one there for me. He held me while I cried, tried his damnedest to make me smile. I pushed him away, called him so many horrible names. Even though I know that he forgave me, that he never took it personal, I wish I could tell him again how much I love him."

"Don't you think he knows, B?" Emmett asked. I looked at him. "Damn, girl, that man never once stopped believing that you loved him. He knew how much you needed E, how much you still do. Besides, it's not like he's not with your right now. He's taking care of you and your spawn." I flipped him off. "I meant babies."

I smiled, running my hand over my swollen belly. "You really think he's watching over our babies?"

"Hell yeah he is. He's probably already teaching them how to give you a hard time," he groused.

"Yeah, Charlie would do that." I laughed. Stretching, I scooted my legs off of Jasper's lap, groaning when I stood up. I'd barely taken a step when I got dizzy and threw my hand out toward Jasper. "Whoa."

"Hey, what's wrong?" he blurted out, standing up and sliding his arm around my waist in an effort to hold me up.

"Just got a little lightheaded," I murmured, taking a deep breath. "I must be hungry."

"Are you sure?" I could hear the fear in his tone.

Nodding, I smiled. "Yeah, just need some bacon or something really greasy."

"Okay, well, let's get you back up to the house," Jasper mumbled.

Emmett stepped toward us with his arms coming out like he was going to try to lift me. One glare was all it took for him to let them fall to his side and mutter something about leading the way. Jasper slipped his arm from around me, but kept his hand on my elbow as we made our way up the pathway that led back to the house. I stifled my irritation, knowing they were only concerned about me and the babies. They cared; I couldn't fault them for that.

When we walked back into the bed and breakfast, we found Edward, Rose, and Alice sitting at the table. All it took was for Edward to see Jasper holding onto me for Edward to scramble to his feet and rush over to me.

Before I could explain that I'd gotten dizzy, Jasper nearly yelled, "She's not feeling good!"

"I feel fine, dumbass," I muttered, pushing him away from me. Rolling my eyes, I looked back at Edward, who didn't look convinced. "I got a little lightheaded, that's all. Probably just hungry."

"Hmm," he hummed, leading me over to the chair he'd just left and practically pushing me down. "Are you still feeling off?"

"No," I replied.

Edward nodded before he looked back at Rose. "Do you have a blood pressure cuff? Stethoscope?"

"In my room." Rose looked at Emmett, gesturing toward the stairs. Nodding, he took off.

I huffed. "Baby, I'm fine."

Edward looked back at me, smiling. "I'm sure you are, but indulge me a bit."

"Fine, but can I at least have some bacon?" I groused. "I'm fucking starving."

Laughing, he stood up and pulled a couple stripes off the platter and handed them to me. I glared at him as I took them. Emmett came down a couple minutes later with Rose's black leather bag, a gift from Charlie when we graduated from medical school. He'd gotten us each one; our names had been hand stitched on the front. Just one more way Charlie showed how much he loved Rose and Alice as his own.

"Thanks, Em," Edward murmured, kneeling next to me with the bag on the floor. I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything as Edward wrapped the cuff around my arm and placed the stethoscope in his ears. He lifted his eyes up to mine as he began to pump it, the cuff tightening uncomfortably around my arm. "Too tight?"

"No," I whispered.

Dropping his attention to the small gauge, he watched as the needle began to bounce its way back down. He sighed and pulled it off of me. We both saw the reading. "Baby, your blood pressure is up."

"I imagine so." I smiled and put my hand on my stomach. "Pregnant remember?"

"Yeah, but it's up a lot; 160 over 93. That's too high."

"It's higher than what we want, but considering there are three babies nestling inside of my womb, E, it's nothing to freak out about," I countered. Edward huffed, glaring at me. "Seriously, I feel fine. I'm just hungry."

"Everything okay in here?" All of us turned as Thomas came in, followed closely by Ashley. His eyes traveled from Edward to me and down to the blood pressure cup resting on the floor. Lifting his gaze to me, he frowned. "Sweetheart, are you feeling okay?"

"Yes," I said, before Edward could say otherwise. "Just a little hungry. How are you today?"

"Oh, you know, hanging in there." He shrugged his shoulders before sitting down at the table. Ashley kept her attention away from mine while she fixed him a plate with eggs, a bagel, and some bacon. Leaning over she kissed the top of his head before she walked into the kitchen. My heart broke for her, knowing just how much she was hurting.

"Here, baby," Edward said, pulling my attention to him. I smiled as he placed a plate in front of me, with several pieces of bacon. "Maybe we should head back to the city today," he suggested, taking the seat next to me. Before I could protest, he held up his hand. "I worry."

"I'm fine," I insisted, bringing my hand up to his cheek. His eyes fluttered to a close. "Please, E, you know I would tell you in a heartbeat if something felt off."

"I know," he murmured, pressing his lips against my palm. "But today we're relaxing around here. No arguments."

Knowing better, I simply nodded my head in agreement. "Okay, now can I eat?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, shaking his head when I squealed. Grabbing a slice of bacon, I stuffed it into my mouth, moaning. Damn it was good.

While we ate, I could feel Edward watching me. More than once, I swore I saw his hands twitch in my direction, like he was going to check for a fever only to stop himself. He worried, I understood, but he was going to have to trust me to be honest with him and tell him when or if I started to feel off. I knew the risks of carrying triplets as well as he did and a raise in my blood pressure was expected.

I had barely put the last bite of scrambled eggs between my lips when Edward ripped the fork out of my hand and had me in his arms. "E!" I cried, holding onto him as tightly as I could. "What are you doing?"

"I am taking my wife up to our room where she is going to rest and let me spoil her," he explained, kissing me. I blushed. "You said you wouldn't argue with me."

"Fine," I muttered, stifling the urge to roll my eyes. "But for the record, you're totally overacting."

He smiled. "Eh, you'll deal with it."

Edward carried me upstairs to our room, somehow managing to open the door without dropping me on my ass. Sticking his foot behind him, he kicked it shut and laid me on the bed. I pushed myself up so that I was leaning against the stack of pillows, my hands dropping down to my belly. With a smile covering his lips, he pulled off my flip flops, tossing them over by the door, before climbing on the bed next to me. He hand came down to rest on top of mine.

"Happy now?" I asked.

"Very much so," he murmured. Leaning up on his elbow, he gave me a sheepish look. "I know you think I'm overacting, B, but you and our babies are everything to me."

I sighed, rolling on my side so that I faced him. "As you are to me, love. I really feel fine, though. Maybe I stood up too fast or just really needed some bacon."

Edward laughed. "You're a little obsessed with bacon right now."

"What can I say, it's fucking awesome." I shrugged my shoulders. Stroking my fingers across his check, I smiled. "You look more rested. Do you feel better after getting some decent sleep?"

"I do," he replied, nodding. "Though, I don't like waking up without you in my arms."

"I couldn't sleep. Guess these three are trying to prepare me for all those midnight feedings, huh?"

"Ugh, thanks for bringing those up," he groaned, rolling onto his back and bending his legs. "It'll be like living with Em again."

"Nah, the babies won't cry as much," I giggled, resting my head on his chest. Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder, ghosting his fingers up and down my arm.

I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I remember was hearing him whispering to someone. Stretching, I shifted from my side to my back, a groan slipping out from between my lips. The simple sound drew Edward's attention away from the door, where I saw Alice trying to peek in over his shoulder. He rushed over to me, placing his hand on my stomach as I sat up a little.

"Baby, are you okay?" His tone was frantic.

"I'm fine," I said for the tenth time that day alone. "Just sore from sleeping so hard. What time is it?"

"Just after one," he replied, sitting on the side of the bed. I looked over at Alice. "Ali was just telling me that they were going to have a picnic out in the gazebo if we wanted to join them, but . . ."

"We'd love to," I quipped, interrupting him. Edward began to protest, but I placed my finger on his lips. "E, I love you, but I can't be locked away in here all day. It's a beautiful day outside and the fresh air will do me good. Please don't fight me."

Just to make it harder for him to deny me, I cheated and jutted my lip out into a pout. Edward fell back across my legs, an aggravated groan rumbling from deep in his chest. "Fine, but I swear, B, if you as much as wince, I will be bring you back in here and tue you to the goddamn bed."

"Oh, baby, you can tie me down later," I teased.

"Ew," Ali whined. "I'll meet you downstairs as soon as I go clean that image from my brain."

"Love you, Ali!" Edward and I hollered after her.

Climbing off of the bed, Edward slid his arms under my back and under my legs, hoisting up again. I started to protest, but he crushed his lips against mine, taking my breath away. Leaving me in a daze, he carried me downstairs and out to the gazebo. I never minded being in his arms, especially when he kissed me like that. The man had a power over me that even I didn't understand.

We found Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice sitting on a large green blanket in the middle of the gazebo. Though all of them turned and smiled when Edward carried me in, they didn't say anything. Perhaps they could see the same worry in his eyes that I did, or maybe it was just that they didn't want to embarrass him. Either way, I appreciated that they weren't giving him a hard time. Edward worried about me and the babies — that's all that mattered.

Edward set me back on my feet, brushing his lips across mine in the process. I sighed, melting into his embrace. Sliding to the floor, I sat with my legs out in front of me and leaning back on my hand. My belly was already making it difficult for me to sit up straight. Edward settled down next to me, almost like he was afraid I'd start floating away. It was both sweet and annoying.

"Hope you brought your appetite, B," Alice giggled, gesturing to the spread in the middle of the blanket. "We have everything a preggie would want."

"Hmm, so I can see," I snickered. There were containers filled with pasta salad, strawberries, grapes, sliced cheese. A platter with what looked like turkey, peanut butter and jelly, and ham sandwiches. Next to the platter was a plate of cookies, brownies, and rice crispy treats. "I don't know where to start!"

"Here," she replied, filling a plate with a little of everything. "No reason you should have to decide."

"Thanks, Ali," I giggled, taking it from her.

I nestled myself against Edward while we started to eat, listening to them chit chat between themselves. When our babies came everything we knew was going to change. Not just for me and Edward either, but all of us.

**Thank you for all the reviews and the support during my break. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**


	14. Chapter 13

**March 20th EPOV**

The return to the city and our lives was harder than I expected it to be. For three days, we were able to just relax, enjoy being together without worrying about work schedules, but now we were back home and everything had turned to crap. Well, not really, but in order for me to be able to go on our little weekend getaway, I had traded in the day shifts I was supposed to be working, for a week's worth of night shifts. Every night for three days, I left my wife alone in our apartment while she prepared for bed and headed to the hospital. I loved my job, but I hated being away from her. My body yearned to be wrapped around Bella, to hold her in my arms.

"Earth to E." Alice came up behind me, slapping me on the back of the head.

"Fuck, Ali," I muttered, stepping away from her. I was standing in front of the nurse's desk, working on the chart for a four year old with a fever of unknown origins. His ears weren't infected, and his throat looked fine. I advised his mother to give him some Tylenol and take him into his regular pediatrician if it wasn't gone in two days. With kids, it could be anything or nothing at all. "You don't have to hit me."

"I know I don't, but seeing as I've been trying to get your attention for the better part of two minutes caused me to become creative." Alice laughed. "You look like shit."

"Gee, thanks, Ali," I muttered, closing the chart and handing it to Amber, the charge nurse before pushing away from the desk and heading into the lounge. Alice, of course, followed me. "Was there something you needed? Or was it just to tell me that I look like crap?"

"You're cranky," she grumbled, leaning against the counter while I poured myself a cup of very bad coffee. I motioned toward one of the other cups, silently asking if she wanted one. "No, thanks, I'm not desperate enough to drink that shit."

"Beats nothing," I groused, topping off my cup and heading back out onto the floor. "Now, what did you want?"

"E, stop." Alice reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop with more force than someone her size should have. I huffed and looked back at her. "I'm worried about you. When was the last time you slept?"

"This morning," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"How long did you sleep?" she pressed, lifting her eyebrow in a very annoying way.

I shifted my attention away from her. "A few hours."

"E!" Alice threw her arms up. "You have to do better than that."

"Don't you think I know that," I snarled, causing her to gasp. I took a deep breath. "I'm doing the best I can, Ali. B had an appointment this morning with Dr. Biers that took almost two hours. I had planned to take a nap before I came in, but I didn't get the chance. With B not able to work full time, we really can't afford to pass on any shifts."

Alice sighed. "Look, I know, E, but you can't work yourself into the ground, either."

"I know that, Ali, but unless you recently won the lottery and have a few hundred thousand hidden somewhere, I don't have a lot of choice."

"You can let me and J help with some of your bills."

I laughed and shook my head. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen, Ali."

"And just why not?" she demanded.

"Because we're not a fucking charity," I hissed. Once again she gasped. "We'll be fine, Ali. Just back off, okay?"

"Okay, I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds," she murmured, clearly hurt.

"Look, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I'll figure out how to take care of my family." Leaning over, I kissed her forehead. "And don't hit me anymore. It hurts more than you think."

"So I've been told," she giggled.

I rolled my eyes and headed back to work. She meant well, and it wasn't that I didn't appreciate her offer, but I couldn't allow my brother and his wife to pay my bills. And neither would Bella. We were adults and somehow we'd figure out how to pay everything without it killing us. The only good thing was that with James and Laurent refusing to allow us to pay any rent, we wouldn't be losing our home anytime soon. However, our apartment wasn't very big and I didn't know how we were going to fit three babies in there. Just thinking about it gave me a headache.

By the time my shift ended, I was exhausted and all I wanted was to go home and get some sleep. Siting on the bench in front of my locker, I stretched my arms above my head, trying to work the tension out of my shoulders. It didn't work. The door to the lounge opened, and I looked back to find Carlisle coming in.

"Hey, Dad," I murmured, opening my locker.

"Edward," he said, coming over and clapping me on the shoulder a few times. "How was the night shift?"

I shrugged. "The usual. Heard Cameron had an interesting patient come in. Something about a snapping turtle and the man's penis. I didn't ask for details."

Carlisle laughed. "No, I bet you didn't." He shook his head and settled next to me. "How'd Bella's appointment go yesterday?"

"Good." I smiled; remembering the sight of our babies snuggled together. I'd never get tired of seeing them on that little screen, at least I hadn't yet. "Victoria said they looked good. She just hit thirteen weeks."

"Only about twenty more to go," Carlisle snickered.

"Let's hope she makes it that far," I muttered, standing up. "Anyway, I'd better get home before B wakes up and I'm not there. There's no telling what that woman would do."

"Alright, Edward. Just call if you need anything, okay? Your mom and I, not to mention Renee, are here twenty-four/seven."

"I know, Dad, thanks," I replied, pulling the door to the lounge open. "I'll be back tonight."

"Get some rest," he called after me.

I passed Emmett and Rose on the way through the ambulance bay, reassuring both of them that I'd get some sleep when they not-so-politely informed me that I looked like shit. Shaking my head, I bit back every bitter retort I had. They worried, I understood, but the last time they pushed like this, they ended up spouting off some very hurtful things that nearly destroyed my wife. I wouldn't let that happen, not when we had three babies to think about.

It was morning like this, when I was tired and cranky, that I enjoyed living so close to the hospital. I didn't have to worry about traffic, fighting the morning rush on the subway, dealing with rude asses who thought the city owed them something. There were moments when I wondered if Bella and I should move out of New York, find a nice small town somewhere to raise our babies. Of course, then we'd have to deal with our family again. With the way they threw a fit about us leaving the townhouse, who the hell knows how they'd react to us leaving the city. That was a battle I wasn't sure I wanted to fight — not yet anyway.

"Hey, Edward," James said, waving at me as I strolled up to the diner. He was sweeping the front walk, while Laurent was cleaning the windows. "Long shift?"

"Every shift is a long one," I scoffed. "Was she okay last night?"

"Yep, we checked on her when we closed up just after midnight, and she was fast asleep. Left her some crackers and a glass of water on the nightstand just in case," James explained. "Are you working again tonight?"

"Yep, for the next four nights," I muttered, heading toward the back of the building. "Do me a favor and keep your eye on her for me?"

"Of course we will," Laurent called after me. "Anything for you two."

When I walked into our apartment, I was surprised to see Bella in the kitchen. She had her iPod playing her favorite playlist, Nickleback, so when I walked in so she didn't hear me. Her hips were swaying from side to side, one hand was rubbing her growing belly, while the other was flipping one of the pancakes she was making. Smiling, I dropped my bag at the door and carefully walked up behind her, gripping her hips tightly. She jumped, startled by my touch.

"Oh, Fuck!" she screamed, spinning around and glaring at me. "Don't sneak up on me!"

"I'm sorry, baby," I snickered, sliding my hands around her. "I thought you heard me."

"Liar," she muttered, pushing me away.

"Okay, so I knew you didn't," I admitted. "I figured you'd still be asleep."

"Oh, yeah, I woke up just after four and couldn't go back to sleep," she replied, turning back to the stove. "Thought I'd make you some breakfast."

"Thanks," I said "Is there a reason you couldn't sleep?" Bella shook her head, though she refused to look at me. "B?"

"It's nothing," she muttered, sliding the pancakes onto a plate. Shutting the griddle off, Bella picked up the plate and turned toward me. "I hope you're hungry."

"Starving, but I wish you'd talk to me."

Bella sighed. "It's nothing; just a nightmare."

I took the plate from her, setting it on the table and helping her onto one of the chairs. Pouring us both some orange juice first, I settled onto the chair next to her. "What kind of nightmare?"

"Jacob," she whispered, ducking her head away from me.

I inhaled a sharp breath, not wanting to think about that asshole any more than she did. "What happened?"

"H — he came after us again," she whimpered. "Tried to take the babies. I couldn't stop him." She lifted her tear-filled eyes to mine. "I swear I tried, but I couldn't."

"I believe you, baby," I said, soothingly. "You know he can't hurt them, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but it felt so real." She shrugged her shoulders. "I just couldn't go back to sleep, so I watched TV for a while. Then, I thought about doing some laundry, but decided it wasn't worth facing your wrath over carrying the laundry basket down to the machines so I finally settled on making my husband some breakfast."

"You should have called and you're right about me being pissed about the laundry, so good call." I cut a piece of pancake, holding it up to her lips. "Eat."

"You were working, and I am more than capable of doing some laundry, you silly man," she chirped, before allowing me to feed her. "Those are some good pancakes. You should try some."

"I will if you kiss me." I smirked. Bella rolled her eyes, but leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. "More."

"Eat," she giggled. "Then, maybe, I'll give you more."

"You're a tease," I grumbled.

"I am, aren't I?" she taunted, leaning back and bringing her hand down to her belly.

"You okay?" I asked.

Bella sighed. "Yes, E, I'm fine. I wish you would stop worrying about me."

It was my turn to scoff. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Bella huffed, but didn't say anything as she started eating half the pancakes. We finished our breakfast in silence. She put on a good show, but I could see the fear still swimming in her eyes. Once we were done, I cleaned up the kitchen and grabbed her hand. "Come to bed with me."

Bella sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm not tired."

"Who said anything about sleep?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her, causing her to giggle.

"You need to get some sleep, baby," she purred. "You work again tonight."

"I'll be fine," I insisted, slipping my arms around her waist and nestling her against my chest. "I need you."

"You do, huh?" she cooed, slipping out of my arms. Stepping away from me, she reached down and grabbed the hem of her pale blue nightgown and stripped if off, leaving her standing in front of me with nothing but a pair of white cotton panties on. Those fucking panties were going to be the death of me.

"Baby," I growled, reaching for her.

Bella giggled and shook her head. "Gotta catch me first."

I gave her a ten second head-start before I followed her into our bedroom. What I found took my breath away. Bella was propped up against our pillows, one hand cupping her breast while the other was snaked into her panties. My cock hardened in a second, and I nearly ripped my clothes off. Bella giggled when I climbed onto the bed, completely naked. Gripping her ankles, I pulled her down the bed, hovering over her. I released her ankles, grabbing her hands and towing them above her head.

"No, love, you don't touch what's mine," I scolded.

"Yours?" she murmured.

"That's right, baby, you're mine, and don't you forget it."

"I can't," she whispered, boring her eyes through to my soul. "You've owned me forever, E. All of me."

"No, B, you're the one that owns me. I love you so much."

"I love you, too." She sniffed back her tears. "Show me."

Releasing my hold on her hands, I snaked my hand under her, lifting her off of the bed and lining myself up with her. Bella moaned as I slid into her, filling her in one quick thrust. I stilled myself, trying hard not to come undone in a heartbeat. Once I had a minimal amount of control, I began moving in and out of her, groaning at the warmth of her walls. Being inside of my wife was the best feeling; one I was thrilled to be the only one to ever feel. She'd been mine since we were kids, and she'd be mine until death parted us. We didn't work without each other. Ten years apart had been testament to that little fact.

"God, E, so fucking close," Bella cried out, digging her nails into the back of my arms as she tried to pull me closer.

I dropped my hand down to her thigh, pulling her leg up over my hip. The adjustment helped me find a new angle, hitting just the right spot to send her reeling as her walls clenched down on me. The pressure was too much and I found myself trembling through my own release, basking in the love of the woman under me. Taking a deep breath, I rolled on the bed next to her, smiling when she curled up against me. Her breasts were nestled against my arm, her growing belly pressed into me.

"Sleep, love," I whispered, slipping my arm around her and pulling the blanket over our nude bodies.

"Don't leave me," she mumbled, her words already heavy with sleep. "I need you, E."

"I need you, too." I pressed my lips against her head. "And I'm never leaving you, baby. Never."

Holding my wife against me, I let the exhaustion from a long shift pull me into a deep sleep, knowing that Bella and our babies were worth everything.

**Thank you for the reviews. Sorry for the delay on the chapter, but real life decided it needed to rip my world apart. The good news is that my next book, Summer Confections is almost out. Just under a week! **


	15. Chapter 14

**March 25th BPOV**

A groan rumbled through my chest when the alarm started chirping. Edward muttered, "Fuck" before he reached across me and shut it off. His hand came back to rest on my stomach. I pushed back into his touch. He'd been working so much that I'd barely been able to see him, much less have him touch me. I yearned for him more than I'd thought possible.

"Baby, we need to get up," he whispered, sucking my ear lobe into his mouth.

"Don't want to," I moaned, bringing my hand up to the back of his head. "I'd much rather stay here in bed all day."

"Me too, B, but we have to work." Sighing, Edward rolled over and sat up on his edge of the bed. "You're only working half a shift today, right?"

"Yep," I chirped, sliding up and leaning against the pillows. "Just until one due to doctor's orders."

Edward nodded before he stood up and headed into the bathroom. A moment later I heard the shower start. He came into our room and began stripping his clothes off, tossing his pajama pants and T-shirt into the hamper. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," I murmured, climbing off the bed and following him into the bathroom.

An hour later, Edward and I walked into the staff lounge ready to work. Emmett, Carlisle, and Jasper were already in there, though they all stopped talking the minute we walked in. I didn't question them, but I knew they were up to something — just wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"Morning, sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Carlisle asked, scooting over so I could get in front of my locker.

"Oh, you know, pregnant," I giggled. "I feel good. Ready to work."

"Hmm," he hummed. "Okay, just take it easy. I do not want to face Esme's wrath if you overdo today. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Dr. Cullen," I snickered. "I've already been threatened with bed-rest if I do too much, so no need to worry about me. I'll be a good girl."

"Huh, and they say miracles don't happen," Jasper teased. I glared at him. "Oh, I'm so scared of you."

"You should be," I muttered. "I won't be pregnant forever and I have a fantastic memory."

"Yeah — yeah, whatever," he scoffed, heading out onto the floor.

Carlisle and Emmett followed, both of whom were trying to hide their smiles. They thought Jasper was funny, too. And he was, but he should know better than to mess with me. I'd proven on more than one occasion that I'd get my revenge or maybe he'd forgotten the prank I'd put together when he told me about aliens abducting him. I laughed — good times.

Edward kissed me before heading out into the emergency room. I tossed my bag into my locker and followed him, settling behind the nurses' desk. I'd been given strict orders to only work with children, and even then I had to be careful which cases I took. Of course, that was easier said than done. I was a doctor and sitting here while a child suffered when against everything I believed in, but still, I tried to be good. Thankfully, we were slow today and I'd only two patients this morning: a three year old girl with a fever due to cold and a seven year old boy with a laceration on his leg from where he fell off his bike.

Four hours into my shift, I came out of one the exam rooms when Carol, one of the nurses, stopped me. "Bella, there is someone in the lounge for you. Carlisle told her she could wait for you in there."

"Oh, okay, thanks," I said and handed her my chart. "I stitched Gavin's leg up, but it still needs to be dressed, I was just heading over to get some electric blue wrap. He seemed to like that color. And I wrote a script for some antibiotics. Make sure his mother get it filled, please."

"Sure thing," Carol replied, heading down to the stock room.

Figuring it was Renee waiting for me, I headed over to the lounge. Pushing the door open, I froze. The last person I expected to be waiting for me was Tanya. Not after the last time I'd gone to visit her and Seth. Guilt still ate at me for adding to the heartache they'd already been experiencing. She and Seth had been through more than anyone should have to. Lifting her eyes up to mine, I noticed that they were full of tears. Heavy, purple circles wrapped around her baby blues telling me that she still wasn't sleeping.

"Sorry to bother you at work," she murmured, looking away.

"Don't be. I needed the break." I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. "How are you?"

"Great," she lied. "Just . . . great." Shifting her attention back to me, her eyes dropped to my belly. "How far along are you?"

I brought my hands up to my stomach. "Fifteen weeks with triplets."

"Oh, wow, that's . . . wow."

I smiled. "Yeah, wow is one of the words that came to mind. I'm still trying to process the fact that there are three babies in here."

"Yeah, I bet," she mumbled. Tanya walked over and sat on the couch, bringing her hand up to her chest. "Bella, I . . ." She trailed off and took a deep breath. "Every day I go into Aaron's room and lay down on his bed. I miss him so much. I didn't get enough time with him."

"No, you didn't," I whispered and sitting next to her. Cautiously, I reached out and took hold of her hand. "I'm sorry about coming over that day. I didn't want to hurt you, but I'd promised him that I would tell you."

"I know," she said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "He told me."

"What?" I gasped.

"I had a dream, or at least I think it was a dream. I was standing in the kitchen, just piddling around when I heard him laugh." She began to weep. "It was the most beautiful sound, Bella. Like angels. I ran to find him and he was in his room, sitting on his bed. He looked healthy, and happy. His hair was shiny and his eyes sparkled. Bella, he looked so peaceful. He reached out for me, and I threw myself onto his bed, nestling him in my arms. Gah, I miss holding him."

I ignored the stream of tears pouring down my face, tightening my hold on her hand. "I know, sweetie."

"Aaron brought his tiny hands up to my face and said, 'Momma, it's gonna be okay. Grandpa Charlie has me.' I didn't know who he was talking about, so I asked him who Charlie was. His smile grew and he told me about your dad, how Charlie was taking care of him."

A sob slipped out of my lips. "Sounds just like my daddy."

"Bella, I'm sorry for lashing out at you. I just miss him so much and the pain never gets easier. When you showed up, it just felt like you were pouring salt in my wounds. I'm sorry for being such a bitch."

"Don't be," I cried. "I never wanted to hurt you, Tanya. Maybe I should I have waited, but Aaron made me promise. You know how hard it is to tell that little boy no."

"I do," she giggled, sniffing through her tears. "He made me promise to tell you something."

"What?" The eagerness in my voice didn't go unnoticed.

"He told me to tell you that everything is going to be okay, and that your boys need you to stay strong for them."

"Hmm, I wonder what that means," I mused.

"Knowing Aaron it could be anything," Tanya replied. "He loved you, Bella. You made everything so much easier for him when he was sick. Easier for all of us."

"I didn't do enough," I disagreed. "When he relapsed, you should have been able to come back to me, but I was too wrapped up in my own miserable life."

"You were struggling." Tanya squeezed my hand. "Seth and I didn't want to bother you — not after the attack and everything. Lauren was great, we really couldn't have asked for better. Aaron just loved you. He always talked about his Dr. Bella."

"I love him, too," I whimpered. "How's Seth holding up?"

Tanya frowned. "Not great. Neither of us have been. We fight all the time. He's been working non-stop. I don't know. It feels like I'm losing him, too."

"Have you talked to him? Told him about Aaron?" Tanya shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because he won't believe me," she cried. "He'll disregard it as being a dream, wishful thinking or something. Bella, I love Seth, and I don't to lose him, too."

"Shh, honey," I soothed, slipping my arm around her and pulling her into my arms. "You have to tell him. Trust me when I say that keeping everything stored up inside of you isn't going to help."

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?" The words barely tumbled out of her mouth.

"Then you lock him in your bedroom and force him. Right after my father was killed, I suffered a miscarriage. Between the attack, trying to rebuild my life, my father's death, and losing our child, I spiraled into a deep depression. Edward didn't want to talk to me because he felt that I blamed him. Everything simmered under the surface until one day everything came pouring out. We both said a lot of things that we regretted, feelings were hurt, but we were too proud to admit that we were wrong. Then our families got in our faces and things just . . ."

I paused. "Well, let's just say things got worse. Edward and I were able to work out our problems. Even though things aren't perfect, we make an effort to talk about things. Tanya, don't let things with Seth get to the point that you can't fix it. Go to him now and tell him what you told me."

Tanya leaned away from me. "I will. Thanks for listening to my ramble on. I should probably let you get back to your shift."

"Don't be a stranger, okay? You have my number so you can call me anytime. Promise me?"

"I promise," she said, standing up. Holding onto my hand, she helped me up. "Take care of yourself, Bella, and these three."

"I'm trying."

Tanya left and I waddled down to the cafeteria in search of an ice tea. I was only four hours into my shift, but I was already struggled to stay awake. With a large cup of tea, I headed back onto the floor. I walked back into the lounge, settling at the table and tried to focus my attention on the pile of charts in front of me. I'd only been in there for twenty minutes when Edward came in.

He smiled and sat in the chair next to me. "Hey, I heard Tanya was here."

"Yeah, she wanted to talk," I murmured.

Edward reached over and grabbed my hand. "Are you okay? Did she upset you?"

"No, baby, I'm fine," I assured him. "She's still trying to process everything, I think, but she's starting to heal. She and Seth are struggling. I encouraged her to talk to him, to not let Aaron's passing get between them."

"I hope she listens to you," Edward murmured. "I've missed you today."

I blushed. "I missed you, too. You been busy?"

"Nah, not really. Em needed a consult on a twelve year old boy who presented with a broken arm. His x-rays indicated that he'd had several before. He suspected abuse, but I disagreed."

"Osteogenesis imperfect?" I asked. Edward nodded. "Hmm, that's rare."

"It is, but all the breaks were minor, barely even noticeable. He doesn't have a history hospital hopping. We referred him to Lauren. I think she'll take care of him and put his parents at ease."

"She's good at that." I brought my hand up, stifling my yawn.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "You need a nap."

"I do, but I still have two hours on my shift," I chirped.

"B," he groaned "Fine, but the minute your shift is over, I want you to find a free bed and take a nap. Then, Em's going to walk you home after his shift is over since I'm a working a double."

I frowned. "You work too much."

"I know, but I couldn't turn down the shift when Brad asked me to cover," he muttered. I knew he worried about our finances. He tried to smile. "I'd better get back out there. Stay here unless they need you, okay? Please?"

Sighing, I nodded. "I will. Do me a favor and make sure you eat tonight? Call James and have them send over a burger or something. Just — just eat. I need you, E."

Grumbling, Edward stood up, leaned across the table, and said, "Fine, I will if you will."

"Deal." I smirked.

Six hours later, Emmett hooked his arm in with mine and escorted me out of the hospital under Edward's watchful eye. I'd followed his orders and the minute my shift was over, I found a bed and took a nap — or tried to at least. Hospital beds weren't very comfortable and the noise from the floor kept me from sleeping soundly, but I did what I could. I knew my husband worried about me and the babies — hell so did I — but I worried about him. He worked too much, didn't eat enough, and barely slept. At fifteen weeks, I knew my working days would be limited in the coming weeks. I was already measuring closer to twenty-five weeks. What would we do when I couldn't work anymore? I barely saw Edward as it was. Sighing, I brought my hand up to my stomach. We were going to have to decide what to do sooner rather than later.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked, noticing the way I was caressing my stomach. "Do you need to sit for a minute?"

"No, I'm fine," I murmured. "Is Rose working tonight?"

"Yes, but not at the hospital. She and Ali were going to volunteer over at Marcus' clinic tonight."

I nodded. "That's great. They really need the help over there."

"They do." Emmett opened the door to James' diner, tossing me a cheeky grin. "Why don't you let me buy the babies their first cheeseburger?"

"Make it a bacon cheeseburger and you have a deal," I giggled.

"You drive a hard bargain, B, but you've got yourself a deal." Emmett laughed and followed me inside.

The diner was busy. James came bursting out of the kitchen with his arms full of plates. Seeing us standing in the doorway, he smiled. "There's my baby-doll! Take a seat up here at the counter and I'll be right with you."

Emmett paved the way for me, knowing that I didn't like crowds. We settled at the counter, but didn't bother with menus. I'd been craving bacon all day and with the thought of a bacon cheeseburger, my mouth was watering. James came over a few minutes later, looking haggard. He was another one who worked too much.

"What can I get you to drink? I've got some wonderful herbal tea, baby-doll. Might help you sleep tonight."

"That sounds perfect. I'd like a glass of milk, too, though."

James nodded before looking over at Emmett. "For you, Em?"

"I'll take a cup of coffee."

"Okay, and do you know what you want to eat?" James shifted his eyes between the two of us.

"We'll each have a bacon cheeseburger — one with no tomatoes and the other with no onions," Emmett ordered.

"Oh, can you add jalapeños on mine? The one with no onions?" I asked, eagerly. James' cocked an eyebrow but wrote down our orders. "And two orders of fries — make them extra crispy."

"Laurent's a little backed up in the kitchen, but he'll get your food out as quickly as he can," James explained, sparing his boyfriend a look of gratitude.

"If Laurent needs help, I'd be happy to go back there." The minute the words were out of my mouth, I knew they were wrong.

Emmett and James both glared at me while Laurent yelled, "Don't even think about it, baby-doll."

"You're not going to stand in that kitchen, baby-doll," James scoffed. "And don't even think about arguing with me. First of all, that husband of yours would kick all of our asses if we allowed you, too, and secondly, you're in no condition to help. Sorry, baby-doll, I love you, but no."

"Fine," I huffed, folding my arms in front of me. "Just trying to help."

"Awe, don't be like that," James whined. "You know that I'd let you normally, but right now, your job is to take care of those babies."

"I know," I mumbled.

"Here, B, how about this? I'll go back and give Laurent a hand," Emmett suggested. James and I turned to him, our mouths hanging wide open and shock in our eyes. "What?"

"Emmett, do you know anything about cooking?" James asked, speaking slow and deliberately.

Shrugging, Emmett said, "Yeah, during undergrad I worked in a diner that wasn't much bigger than this."

"Why didn't you ever tell me this, Em?" I demanded.

He snorted. "Because you would have made me cook. I'm not stupid, B."

"No, I suppose you're not," I scoffed and turned back to James. "Let him. I want to see the oaf at work."

Emmett gasped, but James and I ignored him. "Okay, baby-doll, if you think I can trust him, I will. Now, you just sit there and look gorgeous."

"Yes, sir." I smirked, saluting him. James laughed and waved me off. Emmett followed him into the kitchen.

For the next half an hour, I sat at the counter and watched Laurent and Emmett in the kitchen. Emmett had put on a white apron and a chef's hat, which made me laugh. They worked well together, getting the kitchen caught up and keeping everyone who entertained with their hijinks. The diner was full of laughter. Emmett sent my burger out to me so that I could eat about ten minutes into his shift, as he called it. A throaty moan slipped from my lips. The zingy, spicy mix of the bacon and jalapeños was delicious. Once I had my burger and fries eaten, James brought me a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup, whip cream, and three cherries on top.

"Baby-doll, that friend of yours is a hoot," James laughed, coming to sit next to me. The diner had finally started to clear out, giving him a chance to take a break. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." I smiled. "Been a long day and I think your tea is working."

"Why don't you go on up to bed?" James suggested. "I'll check in on you before Laurent and I turn in."

"You act like I'm incapable of taking care of myself, James."

"Oh, don't be like that," he grumbled. "You know how much worry about you and those babies."

I smiled. "I do, and I also know that E's been asking you to watch over me."

"How'd you know?" he asked, not even bothering to deny it.

"I know E, James," I explained. "He's doing what he feels is best for me and our babies. I can't fault him for that."

"Good, you shouldn't," he chuckled and stood up. Leaning in, he kissed my cheek. "Now, go to bed."

"Thank you," I whispered. Climbing off my seat, I placed one hand on my back and turned to Emmett, who was still in the kitchen. I called out to him, "Em, I'm heading upstairs. Thanks for dinner."

"Night, B. Love you, sis." He winked at me.

"Love you, too."

James insisted on walking up to the apartment, stating that the stairs were dangerous. Good thing I loved him because otherwise he could be irritating to me. Once James was satisfied that I was okay, he left me alone, but not before ordering me to lock the door behind me. Doing as he said, I flipped the lock and started toward the bedroom. However, I stopped outside of our small office.

Edward and I had already decided that we'd turn it into a nursery. The room wasn't large, but the babies wouldn't be very big when they were born, either. Edward and I had found a few cribs that we liked, but were having a hard time choosing which one we wanted to go with. Plus, we'd need a dresser, a changing table. _Things that cost money_, I thought.

Shaking my head, I turned and headed into our bedroom. I stripped off my scrubs; grabbing Edward's T-shirt off the top of the hamper and pulled it on. Even though he couldn't be here with me, I needed to feel close to him. I climbed into bed, rolling onto my side and nestling his pillow to my chest. Inhaling deeply, I felt my eyes fill up with tears. We needed to find a way to change our current situation and fast — I missed my husband.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry, for the lack of updates, but yeah, between real life and my work, it's been a nuthouse. Luckily, I've gotten all of my edits for Angel's Heart: The Keeper done and now, we just have to wait for the book to come out. Let me tell you, I am so excited about this one. It comes out in just two weeks, on the 24th! **

**Here's the Summary:**

**An age old prophecy, secret societies, and an enemy she doesn't know she has, Sophie Crenshaw thinks of herself as just being average. Along with her two best friends, Deva and Tabitha, Sophie sets off on what she thinks is a normal vacation. What she doesn't know is that everything she thought she knew about who she is, and what she can do, is about to change. Thrust in a world she knows nothing about, Sophie tries to find her true self, without losing her grip on her own sanity.**

**Henry Chang lives in world full of magic, where the stories over the legendary Angel's Heart are spoken in whispered conversations, and midnight meetings. His job is to protect the Heart, keep it safe from anyone who wishes to hurt it or its Keeper. In a divine moment, he's tied to the Keeper's heart forever. While trying to understand his own feelings, Henry does what he can to support Sophie, and keep her from falling apart. **

**With the help of Willow Crest, members, who are sworn to protect her, without ever meeting her, Sophie will struggle to get control of her feeling and new found powers. Or will it be too much for her to handle? Will their growing love give Sophie the strength and courage to face the greatest challenge of her young life?**

**Sounds interesting? So between getting it ready for publishing, and actually publishing Summer Confections, which just came out on June 19th, I've had to write yet another book. I know, I know, it's nuts! This is for the third book in the Candy Collection. It's entitled Harvest Treats and comes out in September. Anyway, I hope that you'll check out my books. **


	16. Chapter 15

**APRIL 6TH EPOV**

"Dr. Cullen, I've got message for you from radiology. They said the chest x-rays for your patient in trauma room four are clear."

Before I could reply, the nurse left, letting the door to the lounge close behind her. Groaning, I swung my legs off the couch and sat up, biting back the groan as I stretched. My body protested my insistence that it move. I was twenty-two hours into a twenty-four hour shift and all I wanted to do was go home and crawl in bed with my wife. Nearly three days had passed since I've spent more than half an hour with Bella. Between her half-shifts and me being stupid and trying to cover the remanding hours, I'd spent more time at the hospital than at home. It sucked, but I didn't know what else to do. We needed to get as much paid now as we could. Once the babies were born, I'd have to be there for them and  
>Bella.<p>

Sighing, I pushed myself up and headed out to officially discharge three-year-old Matthew Harris. His parents had brought him in just before midnight because he'd been fighting an upper respiratory infection. Normally, I would scoff at parents who would drag their child into the ER in the middle of the night like this, but Matthew was different. He'd been born at twenty-seven weeks and spent nearly three months in the NICU before his lungs were strong enough for him to be able to go home. Due to the wheezing in his lungs, I'd ordered a chest x-ray to rule out that his infection wasn't turning into pneumonia. Thankfully it hadn't, but we'd have to watch him closely.

When I walked into his room, I found him curled up in the bed with his mother. He had his tiny, little hand up on her cheek and she was holding him as close as she could. Next to the bed, Matthew's father was sitting with his feet propped up on the side rails and his arms folded in front of him. His head was tilted forward and he was snoring softly.

Clearly my throat, Mr. Harris jarred himself awake, shifting his heavy eyes to me. "Oh, Dr. Cullen, sorry about that." Dropping his feet to the floor, he reached over and placed his hand on his wife's hip. "Honey, wake up. Dr. Cullen is here."

"What?" Mrs. Harris mumbled, looking over her shoulder at me. The moment she saw me, her eyes widen and she sat up. "Sorry, I know I'm supposed to be on here with him, but—"

"Don't worry about it. If that was my child, I'd be lying with him, too," I said, interrupting her. "The news is good. His lungs are clear, so I am sending him home. Continue the breathing treatments that your doctor has been having you do, but add one more in the middle of the day. If he isn't remarkably better in five days, I want you to bring him back in to see me." Pulling my wallet out of my back pocket, I pulled out one of my cards. "You can ask for me directly and I'll be here, or if I'm not on call, I'll make sure you're in the best of hands."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," Mr. Harris replied, standing up and grabbing my hand. "I'm sure you think we've overreacted, but he's our only child, our miracle child, and we don't want to take any risks."

"You didn't overreact. When a child has had such a rough start in life, like Matthew, you have to be a little more careful. Make sure he's getting plenty of fluids and rest. He should be just fine."

"We will. Thank you again," Mrs. Harris said, trying to climb out of the bed with Matthew in her arms. Her husband reached over and helped her. With the way she melted into his embrace, I knew they loved each other the way Bella and I loved each other.

Twenty minutes later, I watched them walk out of the emergency room with Matthew bundled up. Smiling, I finished up with their chart and handed it over to Cathy, asking her to put it up for me. With no more children to the ER, I headed back into the lounge and lay back down on the couch, waiting for the rest of my shift to be over. I wanted to go home.

—MBTFS—

The minute the clock struck seven a.m., I was walking out of hospital. For early April, it was surprisingly warm, but I wasn't complaining. The winter had been cold and bitter; I was ready for the warmth. I'd only made it a block when my cellphone started ringing. Pulling it from my back pocket, I groaned when I saw Emmett's name on the ID. I loved my brother — I really did — but I needed sleep and knowing him, he wanted to go do something stupid, like play paintball or play hide and seek in Central Park.

Flipping it open, I sighed and said, "Hey, Em, look I can't do anything right now, I need sleep."

"E," he croaked, "get your ass to James' Diner now."

"Em, what's going on?" I asked, quickening my pace.

"It's B," he muttered before hanging up on me.

Shoving my phone in my pocket, I took off running. A myriad of images filled my head: Bella lying in the middle of the floor, having fallen; her screaming as she clutches our babies; blood seeping down her legs. Each vision had me tasting bile and willing my body to run faster. Finally, I saw the front of the diner. Emmett and Jasper were waiting in front for me, which pissed me off. They should be in there with Bella.

"Where's Bella?" I yelled, skidding to a stop in front of them. They both started laughing, which just angered me even more. "Stop fucking laughing, you motherfuckers, and tell me where my wife is!"

"E?" Spinning around, I saw Bella with Rose and Alice. She was wearing a pair my scrubs and one of my T-shirts. "Are you okay?"

"What? I should be asking you if you're okay," I groused, rushing over to her. Cradling her in my arms, I brought my hand up to her cheek. "Are you in pain?"

"No, are you?" she wondered.

"Why would I be?" I asked.

"Well, Ro and Ali said that you'd gotten hurt at work, and . . ." Bella trailed off when I growled.

"Em told me I had to hurry because something was wrong with you." Bella and I turned and looked at Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rose. They were standing next to the door, looking unashamed. "What the fuck? You had me scared to death that something was wrong with her or the babies!"

"E, baby, calm down," Bella whispered, bringing her hand up to my chest. "Let's just to home. We can deal with them later."

"No, wait!" Rose exclaimed when we turned to head back to our apartment. Bella and I looked back at her. "Look, we're sorry, but we really need you to come inside."

"Why? What's so important that you had to drag me out of bed and lie to me?" Bella asked, heatedly.

"It's a surprise," Rose mumbled. "Please, just trust us."

"You all played on our fears," I said, trying to keep my voice calm and even. "I don't know why you think that telling me that something was wrong with my wife is okay. The woman is carrying my babies, and you made me think that something was wrong with her. How could you do that?"

"We're sorry," they muttered together.

Sighing, I tried to calm down. "Yeah, I know. You're always sorry."

"Please, just come in here with us," Alice pleaded. "It's been so long since we've had breakfast together. We just thought it would be nice to do it again. Please?"

"Fine, Ali, we'll come in," Bella said, causing me to lift my eyebrow at her. "Now that I'm all the way down here and can smell the bacon, I'm kind of hungry."

Laughing, I leaned in and kissed her. "Then let's get you something to eat, for you and the babies."

"Yay me!" Bella cheered.

Slipping my arm around her waist, I turned us toward Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. "Fine, this time we will go in with you, but pull that shit again and that will be the end, okay? You can't go around playing on our emotions like that."

"You're right," Jasper said quickly. "We're sorry, we won't do it again."

Accepting their apologies, Bella and I walked over to the door. I found it odd that they would use such a scam on us. They may not always be the most sensitive people when it came to me and Bella, but even they knew not to play on our fears of losing each other. Emmett held the door open for us and Jasper waved for us to follow Rose and Alice inside.

Two things happened when we stepped through the door. First, I noticed that there was a large banner hanging over the counter that said "Congratulations on the baby." Only baby had been marked out and babies had been written below it. Not only was there the banner, but there were two tables along the back wall of the diner: one piled high with gifts, and the other filled with food. The second thing that happened startled both me and Bella. Springing out for a dozen small hiding places, people screamed, "Surprise."

Carlisle, Esme, Renee, Laurent, and James were standing behind the counter, while Lauren, Tyler, Garrett, Kate, Ben, and Angela, along with a handful of people from the hospital, were behind tables and booths.

"What the fuck is going on here!" Bella yelled, bringing her arms up around her belly.

"What do you think?" Carlisle scoffed and came around the counter. Taking her hand, he led her over to one of the stools, gesturing for her to sit, which she did. "We are throwing you a baby shower."

"What?" Bella asked, though this time I could tell that she was struggling to keep her tears from falling.

"I said we are throwing you a baby, or babies shower. You know, for someone who went to Harvard, I would have expected you to be able to understand what I am saying," he teased her. Though, when Bella started weeping, his smirk dropped and he quickly looked over at me. "Edward."

"It's okay," I insisted, sitting next to Bella and pulling her into my lap. "She's just overwhelmed.  
>Almost seventeen weeks pregnant with triplets, remember?"<p>

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Sorry, we just wanted to surprise you both."

"Well, you did," Bella giggled, sniffing through her tears. She looked over at Carlisle. "You're behind this, aren't you?" Carlisle pressed his lips together but didn't respond. "You are, I know you are."

"No, he's not," Renee said, causing Bella to turn and look at her. "I am."

"Mom?" Bella asked, trying to stand up.

"Don't," Renee insisted, coming around to her. "Dad would have wanted to do this for you and well, I guess I was doing it for him, too."

"Yeah, Dad would have been all over this thing," Bella whimpered. Though Renee tried to stop her, Bella stood up and hugged her. "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Renee responded. Wiping the tears off Bella's cheeks, Renee smiled. "Now, do you want to open presents first or eat first? Your choice."

"Eat," Bella giggled. "I'm starving."

"Thank God, so am I," Renee snickered.

Everyone laughed with them, and just like that the tension that had filled the room when Bella started crying, dissipated. I followed Bella and Renee over to one of the tables and took the seat next to her. Grabbing her hand, I brought it up to my lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. Bella smiled and looked over at me. The pure happiness in her eyes had my breath catching in my chest. God, I loved her so much.

"Okay, baby-doll, what do you want to eat?" James asked, setting glass of milk in front of her with a look that said for her not to even argue with him. "Your usual?"

"Yep," she chirped. "I've been craving your banana pancakes."

"Sure thing, baby-doll." James winked at her before going over to fix her a plate.

I pushed my chair back to get me a plate, but Laurent grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back in my chair. "This isn't just a party for her, Edward."

Nodding my head in gratitude, I leaned back in my chair and tried to keep awake. I was exhausted, but the smile on Bella's face was enough to keep my eyes open. Ever since she got pregnant, I'd seen a new light shining in her eyes, one that I would give anything to be able to see last forever.

Everyone settled in around us. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice joined Renee, Carlisle, and Esme at our table once they had fixed their plates. James placed Bella's plate in front of her, piled twice as high as any of ours with bacon, and Bella squealed.

"Something tells me B is excited." I laughed when Bella pretended to glare at me. She could try as hard as she wanted, but the smile in her eyes didn't fool me. "Sorry, baby."

"Yeah, yeah; whatever," Bella scoffed, popping half of piece of bacon in her mouth. "Damn, this is good."

"Smells good." Leaning in, I whispered in her ear. "I missed you."

Bella brought her hand up and stroked my cheek. "I missed you, too. You look tired. Busy night?"

"Eh, not too bad," I murmured. "Just a long twenty-four hours."

"For me, too." Kissing me once more, she said, "Now let me eat."

"Okay, okay," I chuckled.

While I nibbled on my breakfast, sucking down more coffee than food, I watched Bella eating. She'd never been one of those women who refused to eat in front of a man. Maybe it's because I'd known her since we were little, back when she was just Bella and not the girl I was in love with. I liked that Bella didn't change who she was just because she loved me back.

"Okay, now that everyone has eaten," Rose said, standing up. She reached for Bella's plate, but flinched when Bella growled and grabbed the last piece of bacon from the plate. "It's time for presents."

"Oh, yay, presents!" Bella cheered, clapping her hands. Everyone laughed over her excitement.

"Just give us a minute to clear everything and then we will bring them to you," Alice instructed, giving Bella and I a look that said do not argue. Sometimes, it was better to just let Alice have her way.

Five minutes later, all the dishes had been taken into the kitchen and Bella had a stack of presents in front of her. Grabbing the first one, Bella tore the paper off, tossing it on the floor. She gasped when she pulled out the package of fleece baby blankets, but instead of the normal pink or blue that you'd give depending on the sex of the baby, Ben and Angela had given us a set of green blankets.

"Thanks, guys," Bella said, sniffing back her tears.

"You're welcome," Angela replied. "Of course it would have been easier if we'd known whether or not you were having boys, girls, or both, but hey, whatever."

"We told you, we're not finding out," Bella told her. "We want to be surprised."

"Because having three babies isn't enough of a surprise," Kate teased. "Seriously, how can you not want to know?"

Bella smiled, bringing her hands up to rest on her growing stomach. "Because just being able to carry these three is a miracle in itself. The odds of a woman conceiving triplets naturally, without the help of fertilely treatments, are about one in every eight-thousand pregnancies. Out of those, the odds of having identical triplets are even rarer. I don't care if we have all boys or all girls or any combination. Every day I pray that when they come, they'll be strong, that they'll fight to survive."

Slipping my arm around her shoulder, I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "How can they not be? You're their momma."

After a few moments of silence, Bella reached over and grabbed another present. This one turned out to be a package of onesies from Emmett and Rose. They had crazy sayings on then like "My uncle rocks!" and "Nobody loves me like my Aunt!" I had a feeling that they'd had them made for the babies. Garrett and Kate presented Bella and I with three packs of preemie sized diapers and three containers of baby wipes, stating that we would need a lot of those. This was probably why we ended up getting six other packs of each from Tyler and Lauren, and Marcus Stevens.

The staff from the emergency room put together a gift basket that included pacifiers, bibs, bottles, nipples, baby bath, lotion, and just about everything else we would need once the babies came home. James and Laurent surprised us when they brought a stroller what would allow Bella and me to be able to hold all three babies. It was more than generous, but I knew how important Bella was to James and Laurent.

"Okay, now for our gift," Esme said, taking the seat next to Bella.

Carlisle stood behind her with a smirk on his face, but my focus was on the envelope Esme was slipping into Bella's hand. She opened it and pulled out a gift card to a little shop that sold baby furniture. Bella and I had been in a few times looking at their cribs and cradles, but with their prices, we were still debating on whether or not we should buy one, much less three.

"Esme? Carlisle?" Bella asked, looking between them.

"Now, don't be mad," Esme started, reaching out and grabbing Bella's hand, "but I followed you two last week and saw you looking at the cribs here. Since Carlisle and I hadn't decided on your gift yet, we thought we could help you with the cribs for the babies."

"No, this is too much," Bella fretted, trying to push the gift card back into Esme's hand; however, Esme wouldn't take it. "Esme, please! You've already done too much for us."

"No, now you listen to me, Bella," Esme said, tilting Bella's head up. "Carlisle and I once made a decision that ripped you and Edward apart. There's never been a day that we haven't regretted that, but now, we have you back. You're happy and together. Please, allow us to do this for you."

"Esme," Bella whimpered, while Jasper's phone rang. He hurried outside to answer it, muttering under his breath about it being important.

I reached over and covered their hands. "Thank you, Mom, Dad."

"You're both welcome. Just be happy, my darling boy," Esme said.

Bella excused herself, murmuring about needing to pee. I knew her better, though; she needed a few moments to collect herself. Today had been an overwhelming for her. Standing up, I went over to refill my coffee. Renee nudged me with her hip and waved her cup in front of me.

"Can I get some of that?" she asked.

"Of course," I said, filling her cup. "Thank you for all of this. I haven't seen B smile like this in a while."

"Or you," she added.

I laughed. "Yeah, or me, I guess."

"How have you been, Edward?" Renee queried. "Bella says that you've been working a lot. Are you taking care of yourself?"

"I'm trying," I retorted. "It's been hard. I miss being with B, but for now, while she's able to do more for herself, I'm trying to get as many hours as I can. The more bills we can get paid, the more time I will be able to spend with B when she ends up on bed rest, or when the babies are born."

"No, I understand that, but promise me that you'll take time for yourself, too. Don't let yourself get lost on the sidelines again."

"I promise. B and I talk — a lot, and we both know that we have to be honest with each other about our feelings. She reminds me to breathe every day, and I remind her that she doesn't have to do it by herself. We're making it work."

"You're both doing amazing," Renee laughed. "I don't know that I could handle carrying three babies. Takes a very special soul to do so."

"Well, that definitely describes B."

A hand came down on my shoulder, causing me to look back. I found Jasper standing there and I could tell by the haunting look in his eyes that he was struggling with something, but before I could question him, he gestured for me to follow him outside. Turning back to Renee, I excused myself and followed him through the crowd. The minute the door shut behind me, Jasper released a heavy breath and looked back at him, tears filling his eyes.

"J, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I just got a phone call," he started, shifting his eyes up to mine, "from Ashley, the woman who runs the bed and breakfast in Vermont." Pausing for a moment, Jasper shook his head. "Thomas, he . . . E, he's gone."

"Oh, fuck," I muttered, dragging my hand over my face and through my hair. "When?"

"Sometime during the night," Jasper muttered. "I didn't ask for more, she wasn't doing very well. She wanted us to let B know; said that Thomas had been worried about her."

"Damn, this is gonna crush her," I groused. Sighing, I shook my head and brought my hand up to my jaw, rubbing against the scruff that had grown over the last few days.

"E, maybe you should wait till after the party to tell her," Jasper suggested.

"Maybe. I don't know." I huffed. "She's going through enough without having to add to B's load. How do I tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Bella asked. Spinning around, I saw Bella standing in the doorway of the diner, one hand clutching her back while the other was caressing our babies. How was I going to be able to break her heart again?

**A/N: First, let me thank you for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it more than you know. Now, I know it's been awhile between updates, and I have a million reasons why. First, I had major writer's block, then I had another short novella due on October 1****st****. Broken Hearts & Dusty Dreams will be released in December as part of Book Four of the Candy Collection, Sugarplum Dreams.**

**Then, I had two pieces due for two different compilations. First was the Fandom for Suicide Awareness. It's a cause that means a ton to me and I had to write for it. I will be posting it on FF starting on Nov 15. It will be a 29 chapter drabble-like fic that will be updated daily. The title is Shadow of a Shattered Life. **

**The other piece was an outtake of Cullen Ballet Academy for the StandUp4Katalina compilation. I will be posting that one on Jan 1.**

**Now, I can't promise that the next update will be soon, but I am going to try. I am doing NaNoWriMo this November and have to get 50K written in 30 days. Since I have another book due on December 1, I figured this would be great motivation.**


	17. Chapter 16

**APRIL 6TH BPOV**

I never realized just how good it would feel to pee until I had three babies dancing around on my uterus. Washing my hands, I walked back into the diner, looking at everyone who'd come to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our babies. I couldn't believe that they'd gotten together to throw us a shower. The last year had been so hard, but to have our family behind us meant so much to both me and Edward.

Looking around, I searched for Edward, but couldn't find him. It was irrational, but I couldn't help but panic. Had he gotten called back down to the hospital? Left without telling me goodbye? Bringing my hand up to my chest, I tried to take a deep breath.

"Hey, B," Emmett said, coming up to me. "You okay?"

"Fine," I murmured. "Where's E?"

"Um." Emmett paused and looked around. "I think he went outside with J."

"Oh, okay." I tried to sound nonchalant, but I knew when Emmett frowned that I had failed. "Having a good time?"

Emmett laughed, and hooked his arm in with mine. "Come on; let's go see what those two are chatting about. Hell, we're supposed to be partying this morning, right?"

"That's right!" I cheered.

Emmett and I carefully made our way across the room. Pushing open the door, I placed one hand on my back and the other on my stomach. Edward and Jasper were muttering under their breath, but I heard Edward say, "Maybe. I don't know. She's going through enough without having to add to B's load. How do I tell her?"

"Tell me what?" I asked. Edward spun around, his eyes full of sorrow and pain. "E, tell me what?"

Edward released a heavy breath as he reached over and took hold of my hand. "B, before I tell you, I need you to promise me that you're going to stay calm. Think of the babies, okay?"

"You're scaring me," I whimpered.

"Promise me," he nearly begged, allowing a tear to slide down his face. "Please, just promise me."

"Okay, okay, I promise," I cried. "Tell me what is going on."

Releasing his hold on me, Edward cupped my face in his hands. "Baby, it's Thomas." My breath hitched in my chest and my lips began to tremble. I knew what he was going to say before the words tumbled out of his mouth. "He's gone."

"When?" I sobbed.

"This morning," Edward whispered.

My knees buckled, but Edward caught me before I could hit the ground. "No!" I screamed, clutching onto him. "Please, no!"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't stop from sobbing. Edward tightened his hold on me and carried me back inside the diner. I could hear everyone asking what was wrong, but I couldn't get a word out. It was silly, but I'd grown attached to Thomas. He reminded me of Charlie, of how my father would nurture me without crowding me. I knew that Thomas was sick and dying, but losing him hurt more than I was prepared for.

"B." I untucked my head from Edward's chest and looked over at Emmett. He was kneeling next to me, tears swimming in his own eyes. Jasper, Rose, and Alice stood behind him, while Renee, Carlisle, and Esme were trying to keep everyone else from gawking at me.

"He was a good man, Em," I cried. "Kind and gentle."

"Yeah, he was," Emmett agreed.

"He looked at the world with optimism." Pausing, I took a deep breath. "Thomas was ready to die, but I'm gonna miss him."

"We'll miss him, too," Rose said, pulling away from Jasper and kneeling behind Emmett. Laying her head on his shoulder, she frowned. "Sweetie, we're so sorry."

"I have to go to there." The moment the words were out of my mouth, Edward tensed up around me and I knew I was in for a battle. "Please, just listen to me."

"No." While I expected it to be Edward who said no, it was Esme that I heard. I looked over at her. "No, sweetheart. You're almost seventeen weeks along, and the risks are too high. I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

Though I wanted nothing more than to stay in Edward's arms, I somehow managed to stand up, cradling my belly. "You don't understand. I have to go: for Thomas, for Ashley. She's gonna be alone, and scared. I know just how she feels. She's gonna need me and Thomas would have wanted me to be there for her. And honestly, I don't fucking care what you say, but I am going to Vermont. I will be there for her. If you don't like it, you can kiss my ass."

I turned to walk away, but I barely managed a couple of steps when I felt someone reach out and take hold of my arm. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that it was Edward. With a pained expression on his face, he slid his arm around my waist, holding onto me.

"Okay," he said, quietly. "Okay, we'll go, but I need you to calm down. For the babies. Thomas would want you to stay calm."

My shoulders shook as a new round of tears rocketed through me. "I loved him."

"I know you did. He loved you, too." Edward brought his hand up to the back of my head and nestled me against his chest. "Here is what we're gonna do. You're gonna wait here while I go upstairs and pack our stuff. We can be on the road in an hour, at the most. Is that okay?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Okay. J, can you hold her, please?" Edward asked.

"Of course." Jasper walked over to me and allowed Edward to shuffle me into his arms. "I've got you, B."

I couldn't speak; once again I felt my tears pouring down my face.

"Em," Edward said. "Can you get us a rental car? Please?"

"No," Carlisle spoke up before Emmett could. We all looked at him. He turned to Esme, who nodded softly. "If you'll let us, your mother and I would like to come with you. We can take my car. Please, we'd like to support you both."

"B?" Edward asked, looking over at me. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," I whispered.

Nodding, Edward turned back to Carlisle. "We'll meet back here in an hour. Is that enough time to get things sorted at the hospital?"

"Don't worry about the ER," Marcus said, stepping through the crowd. "I'll take care of it."

"Okay, thank you." Carlisle turned back to Edward. "We'll be here in an hour."

One by one, Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Alice, and Emmett left. I knew they'd all be coming with us. We were a family; it's just how we handled everything. Jasper helped me over to one of the chairs, sitting behind me and keeping his hand on my back like he was trying to keep me together.

Looking shell-shocked, Renee came over and sat down next to me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm . . ." I shook my head. "No, I'm not. You would have like Thomas. He was like Daddy."

"Sounds like it," she murmured. Shifting her eyes up to mine, she frowned. "You understand why I can't go with you, don't you? It's not that I don't want to be there for you, but it's too soon. I just can't."

"It's fine, Mom, I understand. Can you understand why I need to go?"

Renee brought her hand up to my face, stroking my cheek. "Of course I do. Your compassion is just one of the many things that I admire in your, sweetheart. Daddy would be proud of you, too. Even if it would have scared him to let you go when you're carrying triplets." I attempted to laugh, but it didn't work. "Just promise me that you're going to be careful."

"I promise," I said, softly. "Thank you for understanding."

"You're welcome."

—MBTFS—

Renee sat with me until Edward showed back up with two bags in his hands and a frown on his face. He worried, but he wouldn't give me a hard time about going. He understood me better than I understood myself. Dropping the bags by the front door, he came over to me and took Jasper's seat, slipping his hand around to rest on my belly. Our babies — our future — moved against his touch. Their small, yet not so subtle reminder of their presence brought tears to my eyes. I loved my babies.

"How much longer?" I asked.

"Twenty minutes. Thirty at the most," Edward replied, leaning his head against my shoulder. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm okay, just very sad." I whispered. "I knew his time was coming, but I wasn't ready to have to say goodbye to him. Not even close."

"Me either." Edward sighed. "I was kind of hoping that he'd get to see our babies at least. Maybe tell Charlie about them."

"I miss my dad, E. So much that it hurts to breath sometimes."

"Me too." Edward kissed the side of my head. "I love you. So much that it scares me."

"I love you, too," I cried.

Twelve minutes later, Carlisle and Esme came busting through the doors. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice showed up a few minutes after that and I knew it was time to hit the road. My legs felt like Jell-O as I stood up and slowly allowed Edward to walk me out to where Carlisle and Esme's car were parked. Behind it was Esme's car, and I suspected that it was already packed with everyone's luggage — everyone but mine and Edward's.

"We'll be right behind you," Rose said, placing her hand on my back.

Nodding, I turned to face her, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. "Y'all are riding together?"

"Yeah," Emmett said.

"Be careful, okay? Please?"

"Yeah, B, we'll be extra careful," Jasper promised. "I won't let Em drive."

I almost smiled when Emmett scowled and rolled his eyes. "I'm not a bad driver."

"Of course you're not," I told him. "J is just better. Not like he's ever hit a raccoon."

Emmett started to argue with me, but then shut his mouth. "Fair enough."

Edward opened the front door to the car, motioning for me to climb in. I started to argue with him that I could sit in the back, letting Esme take the front, but there was a look in his eyes that told me not to argue with him. Sighing, I slide into the front seat. There were some battles that just weren't worth fighting and this was one of them. He needed to take care of me, and a part of me needed him to. Carlisle climbed in behind the wheel, while Edward and Esme took the backseat.

"Are we ready?" Carlisle asked, looking over at me.

"I'll never be ready," I muttered, shifting my eyes to his. "But let's go anyway."

Carlisle nodded before starting the car and pulling out into traffic. Luckily, it was just before noon so the roads were busy, but not swamped with rush hour traffic. I wasn't in the mood to sit in a traffic jam; waiting for them to realize that we had somewhere to be. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against the headrest. It was silly that Thomas' death had hit me so hard. I'd only spent a couple of days with him, but he smiled and laughed. For those couple of days, he made me feel like Charlie was still here.

"Tell me about Thomas," Carlisle said. I opened my eyes and looked over at him. "What was he like?"

I took a deep breath. "He . . . I — I don't know that I can really explain him very well. He has . . . had beautiful eyes. They were full of life and joy. He knew he was dying, but he wasn't scared. He told me that he'd had a good life, that he didn't have any regrets. He was ready to be with his wife again." Pausing, I wiped my tears off my face. "I envied his outlook on life; the ease in which he accepted his death. I'll miss him — more than I probably should, but I'll miss him. He gave me hope that one day, when I wake up in the morning, I won't have to remind myself to breathe," I cried.

"That every shadow won't cause us to flinch," Edward said, reaching over the seat and placing his hand on my shoulder.

"A day where we won't look behind us when we're walking down the street, or be afraid to turn the corner," I added. "One day, we'll be able to live without being afraid. We probably sound silly, but these babies are a new start for us. Thomas gave us hope that we'll get it."

"It's not silly," Esme said. I looked over my shoulder at her. "Your beautiful babies will be a new start for you, but I need you to try to calm down or I will be force to mother you even more than I already am planning on doing. Renee gave me permission."

This time, I really laughed. "Yes, Dr. Platt, I will do my best."

"Good girl." She smiled. "We're all here for you, sweetheart. For both of you."

"Thank you, Esme," I murmured, before turning back to face the front.

—MBTFS—

Four hours later, Carlisle parked outside of the bed and breakfast. We'd called ahead and reserved rooms at one of the hotels, but I needed to stop here first. Ashley lost her father and needed someone who understood. Sighing, I took Edward's hand when he offered to help me out of the car. I needed his help, his support, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he'd be there to hold me up and keep me together. Edward was my Thomas.

Carlisle and Esme opted to stay in the car, giving us a change to soothe Ashley. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice, however, came with us. The six of us had become closer than family, and together we'd dealt with more than most, but we'd overcome a lot, too. Together, we'd say our goodbyes to Thomas.

When we walked inside the bed and breakfast, I wasn't surprised to see the small crowd that had gathered to pay honor to Thomas. He'd been an amazing man who touched so many lives. Jackson was sitting on one of the small sofas, looking lost. I looked for Ashley, but I couldn't find her and that worried me.

"Bella?" Jackson asked, standing up and walking over to us. "I hoped you'd come, but wasn't sure if you'd be able to."

"I — I had to," I murmured. "Where's Ashley?"

"She's, um, in our room," he replied, gravelly. "She refuses to talk to me. I don't know how to help her."

"Do you mind if I go talk to her?" I asked. "I don't want to intrude."

"No," he mumbled. "I think she'd like that."

"Thank you." I turned to Edward, who gave me a soft nod. He of all people understood how distraught Jackson felt right now. It wasn't that long ago that he'd been the one trying to keep me from falling apart.

Taking a deep breath, I headed down to their bedroom. Ashley was curled up in the middle of the bed, her arms wrapped around herself and a hollow look in her eyes. I kicked my shoes off and climbed onto the bed next to her, holding her.

"I still need him," she wept.

"I know," I whispered.

"I wasn't ready to say goodbye."

"You never are," I murmured. "Ever."

Ashley and I fell into a peaceful silence. Thomas had been ready to face his death, but those of us left behind hadn't been.

**Thank you for all the reviews. It may be awhile before the next update, but I promise not to give up on this story. NaNoWriMo starts in a week!**


	18. Chapter 17

**APRIL 9TH EPOV**

Unable to sleep, I'd slipped out of our hotel room and went outside, needing some fresh air. Bella had tossed and turned, muttering about Charlie, Thomas, and Aaron through most of the night. Now that she'd fallen into a peaceful sleep, I didn't want to wake her up. She needed the rest.

Watching my wife struggling with her grief once more was hard. I held her and tried to soothe her every time she found herself in tears — which was a lot — but there was only so much I could do for her. I wasn't stupid, I knew there was more going on than just her grief over Thomas. Bella hadn't had time to mourn Charlie properly before we were dealt another blow by the loss of our first baby. In so many ways, Bella was just now allowing herself to grief the loss of her father, the loss of our child, and the loss of a life that we could be living right now.

I'd been outside, leaning against one of the white pillars when I heard the door open. Looking over my shoulder, I smiled when I saw Emmett and Jasper come out. They'd been worried about my wife, too. We all knew how fragile Bella was right now, even though she tried to pretend to be strong. She was barely hanging on for the sake of our babies.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey, man, how's B?" Jasper asked, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"She's okay," I replied. "Figured I'd let her sleep awhile longer. Today's gonna be a rough day for her."

Nodding, Jasper folded his arms in front of him. "And, um, how are you hanging in there?"

"I'm fine," I said, causing them both to look at me with raised eyebrows. "I'm fine."

"E, you're so full of shit," Emmett scoffed, shaking his head. "You're working eighty hours a week and trying to be there for B. You look like shit ran over and, honestly, you smell a little."

"I do not," I muttered.

"Yeah, you do," Jasper said. "Look, you're working yourself to the bone. You can't keep up this pace; it'll kill you."

Sighing, I turned away from him and Emmett. They acted like they were telling me something new. I knew how much I was working, how much stress I was taking onto my shoulders, but what chose did I have? My wife needed me to take it on myself so she could keep our babies safe. Losing one of them would be the final nail in our coffin. She and I knew we wouldn't survive another loss like that.

"E." Emmett placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I know I do, Em," I replied. "But by working as much as I can now and getting extra payments on our loans and shit paid, when the babies come, I'll be able to be there with B. I need to be there with her, with them as long as I can."

"She needs you to take care of yourself now, too," Jasper stated. "Look, if you need help with bills, Ali and I can help."

"No," I groused, shaking Emmett's hand off of my shoulder. "I can take care of my family, J."

"I never said you couldn't," Jasper insisted, but I shook my head even more. "E —"

"No," I snapped. "I don't need you to take care of my wife and kids, J. I can do it myself."

Pushing past him and Emmett, I walked inside, stopping short when I saw Carlisle and Esme standing just inside of the lobby. Based on the expressions on their faces, I knew they'd heard every word my brothers and I had spoken. Without a word to either of them, I walked past them and down to mine and Bella's room. She was lying on her back, one arm up over her eyes while the other was absentmindedly rubbing her belly. Smiling, I kicked off my shoes and climbed onto the bed, leaning down and pressing my lips against her stomach.

"Oh, God, I really hope that's you, E," Bella snickered. Pulling her arm off of her eyes, she looked down at me, the smile on her face fading. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied, knowing the moment the word left my mouth that she wouldn't believe me. She sighed and lifted an eyebrow. "It's really nothing."

"You're a shitty liar, baby," she murmured, dragging her fingers through my hair. "Talk to me. Please?"

I sighed and pressed my forehead against her stomach. "It's really nothing. Em, J, and I were outside talking and they were getting onto me for working too much."

"You do work too much," Bella, whispered. Turning, I looked up at her. She smiled. "I understand why you are, but I don't like it. I miss you all the time."

"I miss you, too," I said, smiling. "Especially the feel of your mouth on me." Bella gasped. "Oh, and your tits and pussy, too, baby."

"E!" she giggled, blushing. Moving so that I was lying next to her, I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. "Oh, E," she purred.

"I really miss hearing you calling out my name like that, too," I groaned, placing my hand on the inside of her thigh. Bella's legs parted and I knew she needed me to touch her as much as I needed to touch her. Sliding my hand up inch by inch, Bella moaned when I came into contact with her pussy. Shifting her hips up, she whimpered. "What do you want, baby?"

"You," she gasped. "Just you!"

Slipping inside her panties, I pushed two fingers inside of her, moaning at the warmth that enveloped my fingers. I moved so that I was nestled between her legs, pushing her nightgown up and over her breasts. The sight of my wife lying in front of me — hair fanned out, breasts heaving with her heavy breath, belly swollen — had me fighting the urge to rip my clothes off and take her. But today, right now, was about Bella.

As I moved my fingers inside of her, I used my other hand to shimmy her panties down her leg, tossing them over my shoulder and not giving a damn where they land. Bella bit her lip, arching into my touch. Smirking, I slipped my fingers out of her and brought them to my lips, sucking her flavor off.

"E!" she growled.

"Yes, baby," I cooed, placing my hands on her thighs and pushing her legs open. "What do you want? Hmm, tell me what you want?"

"You!" she moaned, reaching for me. "Just you."

"You already have me," I whispered, before I leaned down and buried myself in her sweetness. Bella cried out, but I didn't slow down or stop. I needed her, every bit of her, just as she did me.

"E!" she nearly screamed, reaching her climax. Lapping up as much of her as I could, I climbed up and lay down next to her. Bella smiled and looked over at me. She reached for my cock, but I grabbed her hand, stopping her. "E?"

"This was about you," I murmured, bringing her fingers up to my lips. "Besides, we don't have time. We need to get ready."

A quick glance at the clock sobered Bella up, causing her to frown. Today we'd say our final goodbye to Thomas, and I knew she wasn't ready. Hell, neither was I, but once again we didn't have a choice. Thomas was gone and we'd have to accept it, for our babies' sake.

"Okay," she whispered, looking back over at me. "Shower with me?"

"Like you could keep me out," I growled before I leaned in and kissed her. Climbing off the bed, I offered her my hand, sliding my arm around her waist so I could support her. At seventeen weeks, she looked closer to thirty, not that I told her that of course. I wasn't an idiot. Bella hissed when she stood up, placing her hand on her stomach. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbled. "Just a little sore today."

"M — maybe you shouldn't go." The moment the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. Bella's body tensed up and she turned her glare onto me. "I'm just worried about you and the babies, B."

"I am going to the funeral. I am going to say goodbye to Thomas. Then, when we come back to the hotel, I will let you pamper me all you want, but I need to do this, E. Please, don't fight me on it."

I sighed. "You're too fucking stubborn sometimes. Fine, but the minute it's over, your ass is mine. Understand?"

"Baby, you can have my ass anytime you want it," Bella purred, which did not help me maintain my resolve not to feel her mouth on me.

"B," I gritted. "Get naked and wet, before I make you naked and wet."

Bella groaned, but allowed me to lead her into the bathroom. I turned on the water before I stripped her of her nightgown, leaving her naked. Tearing my clothes off first, I helped her into the shower, keeping my arm wrapped around her waist. The minute the warm water hit her shoulders, Bella moaned and arched into it, telling me that she was hurting more than she wanted to admit.

After letting the warm water beat down on her for a few minutes, Bella and I managed to finish our shower. I dried her off, paying special attention to her breasts and ass, before wrapping the towel around her and helping her out into our room. The floor in the bathroom was slippery and the last thing either of us needed was for her to fall.

Our room was quiet and somber as we dressed. Knowing how uncomfortable Bella was with dresses, I had packed her a pair of black pants and a black maternity shirt. Once I had my own suit on, I placed my hand on the small of her back and walked her out of our room and down to the lobby. Of course, everyone was already waiting for us.

Jasper and Emmett were standing by the front doors with Alice and Rose. One look from my sister-in-laws and I knew they'd been told what a jerk I had been. Maybe I had been one, but I had failed Bella too many times already. This would be one way that I wouldn't; I was determined to make everything perfect for her and our babies.

"Bella, sweetheart, are you feeling okay?" Esme asked, walking over to us.

"Yes, Esme, I'm fine," Bella replied, a touch of irritation in her words. "Please don't worry about me."

"Oh, that's like asking me not to breathe," Esme scoffed. "I'm a mother, dear; it's what we do. You'll find out soon enough."

"Yeah, I will," Bella murmured, bringing her free hand up to her stomach. "But I promise you — all of you — that I'm fine. Let's just go. Ashley needs us right now."

Though I could tell that Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rose all wanted to say something to me, they all nodded their heads and led the way outside. Bella tightened her grip on my hand and gave me a look before we followed. We'd have to sit down with them and talk this out, like we have everything else that's threatened to tear us apart. Emmett and Jasper would have to learn that Bella and I weren't those young, dumb kids anymore. We were adults and expecting babies of our own. They were going to have to let us grow up and handle our own affairs.

Esme once again insisted that Bella ride in the front, and for once, she didn't argue with my mother. Since Carlisle was driving, I slipped into the backseat with Esme, resisting the urge to reach over the seat and place my hand on Bella's shoulder. Was it silly that just the few seconds without touching her caused my heart to ache?

A few minutes later, Carlisle pulled up in front of a small, white church. There was a couple dozen people milling around outside, waiting for their chance to tell Thomas goodbye. Climbing out of the backseat, I opened Bella's door and offered her my hand, helping her out. Bella took a deep breath and I knew she was already battling her emotions.

Slowly, we headed up the front walk, smiling as people turned and looked at us. We found Ashley and Jackson just inside, wrapped up in each other's arms. When we first arrived in Arlington, Bella had spent nearly two hours with Ashley, trying to be there for her, giving her a shoulder to cry on. I loved Bella, but I worried about how the stress of trying to be there for everyone was going to affect her and the babies.

"Ashley," Bella murmured, pulling her attention to us. Sniffling, Ashley pulled away from Jackson and hugged Bella. "How're you doing?"

"I don't know," Ashley admitted. "I woke up in the middle of the night and went to check on him, like I've been doing for months, but he wasn't there. And then I remembered that he's gone."

"I still do that," Bella whispered, rubbing her belly.

"He talked about you a lot." Ashley shifted her eyes up to Bella. "In the end, he talked about you a lot. Not just you, either. Edward, the babies, someone named Aaron."

Bella gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "Aaron?"

Ashley smiled. "Yeah. Daddy would say stuff like, 'Bella's a stubborn one, but she'll be a good momma' or 'She never forgets a promise, Aaron, and she won't forget yours.' He wasn't really conscious enough for me to ask him who Aaron was, but I could tell that he helped him when it was time."

"Aaron was a patient of ours," I explained. "He died last Christmas from Leukemia. He was only three."

"Oh, that's so sad," Jackson said, sliding his arm around Ashley. "He must have been an amazing little boy, though, to be so caring."

"He was amazing," Bella whimpered.

The preacher came up and told us it was almost time to get started. Bella and I made our way inside and took our seats with our family surrounding us. Emmett and Rose were next to me, while Jasper and Alice were on the other side of Bella. Carlisle and Esme sat behind us. I suspected that was so Esme could keep a close eye on my bride.

Once everyone had taken their seats, the preacher came up and began the service. While he spoke about what kind of man Thomas was, I watched Bella. Silent tears poured down her face and every once in a while I'd notice that she get this far off look in her eye and I knew she was thinking about the last time we found ourselves in a place like this.

At the time, I didn't know how to help her. Charlie had been more than her father, he'd been her hero, the one person who'd never left her. My brothers and I were forced to leave her, but it didn't make the ache she felt go away. Too many years passed, too many birthdays and Christmas: Charlie had been there every time she needed him.

Once the service was over, I stood up and helped Bella up, following everyone outside. However, we were only about half way to the car when Bella cried out and fell to the ground, cradling her stomach and screaming.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry for the delay. I had intended to get this chapter done a few days ago, but then real life got insane. **


	19. Chapter 18

**APRIL 9TH BPOV**

Sitting in the small, white church, listening to the preacher talk about what kind of man Thomas was caused my heart to ache. In the short amount of time that I'd known the man, I'd come to love him, to value him as a part of my life. Life had dealt me another cruel hand by giving me Thomas just to snatch him away in the next heartbeat.

Once the service was over, Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me to my feet. He'd been so worried about me, nearly working himself to the point of exhaustion. None of the others would understand how much he was sacrificing for me and the babies. Keeping his hold on me, we followed everyone outside and over to the cars. We'd only made it about half way when I felt a sharp, searing pain shoot from my back into my stomach.

"Ahhh," I cried out, falling to the ground. Edward was kneeling next to me in a heartbeat. "It hurts!"

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked.

Shifting my eyes up to his, I felt my lips trembling as I replied, "I think I'm in labor."

Edward's eyes flew open. It was too soon — way too soon. I'd barely hit seventeen weeks, and the babies needed more time to develop. "Okay, let's get you to the hospital," he murmured.

I didn't argue with him as Edward lifted me off the ground, nestling me against his chest. Around us, I could hear Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme making phone calls. Esme was on the phone with Victoria Biers, while Rose was calling the small hospital here in Arlington, letting them know they were bringing me in. I hated the fuss over me, but as another band of pain wrapped around me, causing me to whimper, I knew they were only trying to take care of me. This time, I had to let them.

"It's okay, B," Edward whispered, kissing the top of my head as he carried me over to Carlisle's car. "I've got you."

I couldn't reply; my tears were seeping down my face. Edward loaded me into the backseat and climbed in next to me, wrapping his arm around me and shifting me so that I was leaning against him. While Carlisle and Esme climbed into the front seat and we headed toward the hospital, Edward pressed his lips to the top of my head and whispered that he loved me.

A few minutes later, Carlisle slammed on the brakes, nearly sending me flying into the front seat.

"Goddamn it, Carlisle," Esme snarled, reaching over and smacking him on the back of the head. "She's pregnant, you idiot."

"Sorry," Carlisle muttered, rubbing the back of his. He climbed out and opened the back door for me, offering me a hand. Whimpering, I placed my hand in his and allowed my father-in-law to help me out. My body ached from the tension. The minute I was out of the car, Carlisle wrapped his other arm around me and held me close while Edward scrambled out of the backseat. Carefully, Edward slipped me from his father's arms and into his. Sweeping me off of my feet, Edward carried me inside, after Esme and Carlisle.

We were greeted by three nurses and two doctors. The first of the two doctors, a tall man with long, jet black hair and dark eyes, reminded me a little too much of Jacob Black, causing me to tense in Edward's arms. The other man, tall and well-built, had light brown hair and wore a warm smile.

They gestured for us to follow them through the small emergency room and into one of the trauma rooms, while Esme rattled off my stats to them. The hospital was small, maybe a quarter of the size of our hospital in New York. Edward laid me on the bed, but quickly grabbed my hand as the Jacob-look-a-like came over to me. I whimpered and tried to scoot away, causing him to stop and look from me to Edward.

"Am I missing something?" he asked.

"No," Edward muttered. "You just remind us of someone we don't like to think about."

"Oh, um, okay," he stammered, looking at his colleague. "I'll just step outside."

"Okay, Dr. Call," the other man stated with a nod. Once Dr. Call walked out of the room, the man turned and looked back at us. "Dr. Swan, I'm Dr. Phil Dwyer, chief of staff here. Can you tell me what you're feeling?"

"Pain," I gritted out, ignoring his hand. "Sharp pain radiating from my right side into my stomach."

Nodding, he stepped up to the side of my bed and gently pulled my shirt up over my belly. Edward brought my hand up to his lips as Phil started pressing down on my stomach. Just after his fingers touched me, another contraction raced through me.

"Oh, shit, another one!" I gasped, squeezing Edward's hand. "You have to stop them. It's too early. My babies won't make it!"

"We will," he vowed, looking me directly in the eye. "You have my word, Dr. Swan."

Phil ordered for the nurses to get my IV started, but Edward insisted on doing it himself. Though they looked like they wanted to argue with him, none of the nurses did. A few minutes later, I had a saline bag going and they'd started me on Magnesium Sulfate to try to stop the contractions. Edward helped me change into a gown and then attach the fetal monitors around my stomach so we could monitor the babies' heartbeats. The nurses glared at him for doing it all himself, clearly put out by him doing their jobs for them. However, I understood that Edward needed to do this as much as for me as for himself.

Once I was settled, Edward pulled a chair up next to my bed and slipped his hand in with mine. I could see the worry in his eyes, the stress over what would happen if we couldn't get labor to stop. It was the same stress and worry that filled mine. These babies were everything to us, our chance for happiness. To lose them now would destroy us both.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

I tried to smile, but knew it wasn't coming off right. "Terrified."

"Me too," he whispered, laying his head on the bed. "You went down so fast. All I could think about was you lying on the ground, the sound of your scream filling my ears."

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

Edward scoffed. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, baby." I winced as another contraction hit me. "Breathe for me, B."

"Trying," I hissed, sucking in a deep breath. "That one didn't hurt as bad as the others did."

"That's good, right?" I could hear the hope in Edward's words.

"Yeah," I said, not knowing if it was a lie or not.

—MBTFS—

A couple hours later, the contractions had stopped and I let out a breath of fresh air. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme had joined us in my room, though they tried to keep busy by watching television, reading the handful of magazines that had been laying on the counter, and talking about any and every thing other than the fact that Edward and I were weeping together, waiting for the moment when we could breathe again. Now, that it was here, I felt almost all of the tension leave my body — almost all of it.

I wasn't stupid. Now that I'd gone into preterm labor, Esme and Victoria were going to put me on strict bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy, which meant I wouldn't be able to work anymore. I knew it was for the best and for my babies, I would follow their orders, but I worried about how the financial stress would affect Edward. He was already working too much.

"Knock, knock," Phil called out as he opened the door to my room. Smiling, he came in and stood next to my bed, and looked at the fetal monitoring strips for the last hour. "Looks like we were able to stop labor." He made a note on them and looked over at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and a little sore," I replied honestly.

Phil smiled. "I'd imagine so. Housing three babies can't be easy."

"No, it's not," I admitted, "but they're worth it."

"They are," he agreed. "I'd like to keep you over night, just to make sure that the contractions completely stop."

"I figured as much," I said, pushing myself further up in the bed. "Of course you understand that my husband will be staying with me, don't you?"

Phil laughed. "I don't think an army could pull Dr. Cullen away from you, Dr. Swan."

"No, they couldn't," Edward muttered, shifting his eyes up to mine.

The intensity pouring out of his emerald-green eyes had my heart racing, which with the monitors strapped to me meant everyone heard just how my husband affected me. Feeling my skin warm, I tore my eyes away from Edward's and looked up at Phil. "Are you moving me to a regular room soon?"

"Yes. Shouldn't be more than ten minutes or so," Phil said. "I'll be here all night if you need me."

'Thank you," I murmured, tightening my grip on Edward's hand. Phil turned around and walked out of my room. I sighed and looked over at everyone. "Well, I guess someone needs to go back to the hotel and grab our stuff."

"We'll handle it," Alice said, coming over and grabbing my hand. "Want me to bring you anything else?"

"Some coffee, maybe a nice greasy cheeseburger," I suggested.

Alice snorted. "Sure thing, B; I'll get right on that."

"Though you might," I laughed. "No, thank you, Ali. I just need my babies to stay put for the next thirteen weeks or so."

"I know you do, B." Alice leaned in and kissed my cheek. "We'll be back in a little bit."

Alice and Jasper left with Emmett and Rose behind them, stating that they would help. I think they just didn't like feeling helpless. Right now, they couldn't do anything for me or the babies. One of the nurses came back in with an orderly behind her.

"Okay, we're ready to take you down to your room, Dr. Swan," she chirped, sounding way too cheerful.

"Alright," I said, softly.

Edward insisted on helping the orderly roll my bed out of the room in the emergency once they had me unhooked off of all the monitors. The hospital was so small that they only had one floor. A few minutes later, they had me inside a new room, one right across from the nurses' desk, and connected back to the fetal monitors. The moment my babies' heartbeats were echoing through the room around, I smiled. I'd never get tired of hearing them.

The minute the door was closed, Carlisle and Esme pulled a couple of chairs over to me and sat down.

"Okay, now that we're alone," Esme started, "we need to talk."

"I already know what you're going to say," I mumbled.

"Oh? What's that?" Esme cocked her eyebrow at me.

"You're gonna tell me that I can't work anymore," I said, frowning. "As much as I hate to admit it, I know you're right."

Esme sighed and reached up, grabbing my hand. "Sweetheart, I don't want to have do it."

"No, I know," I whimpered. "And I'll do it for the babies, but it's hard."

"It is," Carlisle said. Edward brought my hand up to his lips.

I smiled, slipping my hand out from under Esme's and placing it on my belly. "The babies need me to take care of them. Right now, keeping them safe is my job."

"The most important job ever," Edward whispered, pulling my attention to him.

"Yeah, it is," I agreed.

"Okay," Carlisle said, breaking us out of our private moment, "well, don't worry about the hospital. I'll make the arraignments to get your shifts covered. Might have to bring in some temporary help in the meantime."

"I'll cover as many of her shifts as I can," Edward said, looking over at Carlisle.

Carlisle shook his head. "Edward, son, you can't keep up at this pace."

"I'm fine," Edward lied.

Esme huffed. "You're a shitty liar, Edward Cullen. Now, you listen to me. Bella's gonna need you and you can't be there with her and at the hospital, covering her shifts."

"I can do it," Edward muttered. "I — I'll have to."

"No, you don't," Carlisle replied. "Your mother and I are going to help cover some of your bills." Edward and I both snapped our attention to him. "Now, hear me out before you jump my ass."

"Fine," I said, tightening my grip on Edward's hand.

Carlisle took a deep breath. "I once let my selfish need for success cause me to put my career before my family, and by doing so, it nearly cost me the people I loved the most. When we moved to Chicago, I figured we'd adjust and everything would be okay. But it wasn't. Nothing was every okay after that. The boys were miserable, Esme and I fought all the time." Carlisle paused, bringing his hand up to his mouth. "I thought I was going to lose them all."

"But you didn't," I murmured. "Carlisle, you didn't lose them."

"No, I didn't, but until we moved to New York, until I saw you standing in the doorway of the lounge, we weren't happy. Esme and I were lucky if we talked to the boys once a week, she and I were working opposite shifts." Carlisle shook his head. "Then we found you again, and I saw my boys smile, I — I saw my wife happy." Esme placed her hand on Carlisle's back, but didn't say anything. "Bella, Edward — I took thirteen years from you. Please, let me and Esme help you right now. Please?"

"Carlisle," I murmured, shaking my head. "You don't owe us anything. Did it crush me when you left? Yes, but I've never blamed you. You had to move on, I understand."

"Look, we appreciate the offer, we really do, but Bella and I will figure everything out," Edward said.

"Why not let us help?" Esme asked.

"Because I promised Charlie that I'd take care of her," Edward admitted, bringing my hand up and pressing it against his cheek. Of course, I already knew this. When Edward and I decided to move out of the townhouse, he and I had bared every part of ourselves to each other, knowing that we needed to be honest with how we were feeling. His promise to my father was just one of the reasons why Edward was working so hard to take care of me.

"And by letting us help you financially, you're keeping that promise," Carlisle said. Edward began to argue with him, but Carlisle put his hand up. "Edward, please, let us help so that you can be there for Bella. Please?"

"Dad," Edward sighed, shaking his head. Shifting his eyes up to mine, he silently asked for my opinion. I tightened my hold on his hand, nodding slightly. "Fine, I guess we'll let you help out."

"Now, that wasn't so hard," Esme chided, causing Edward to scoff. "Oh, don't be like that."

"I don't like needing help," Edward said. "But we need it, so thank you."

"You're welcome, my darling boy," Esme twittered.

Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice showed back up a few minutes later. While Emmett and Jasper were carrying mine and Edward's luggage, Rose and Alice had two trays of coffee in their hands. I glared at them as they handed Carlisle, Esme, and Edward one and then turned to Emmett and Jasper, giving them each one of the cups. Smiling, Rose leaned around Edward and handed me one of the cups.

"Ashley sent over some Tea," she said. "I know it's not the same, but it's hot and soothing."

"Thank you," I giggled. "Better than nothing, right?"

"Exactly." Winking at me, Rose went over and sat next to Emmett. "Ashley and Jackson were going to come by, but I told them you needed the rest. They said to let them know if you need anything."

"Just need my babies to be okay," I murmured, under my breath.

**Thank you for all the reviews. If I don't get a chance to update before next week, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.**


	20. Chapter 19

**APRIL 25TH EPOV**

Sitting on the couch in the lounge, I leaned my head back and tried to block out the noise trickling through the door. It was just before seven in the morning, and I'd been working all night. You'd think yesterday had been Christmas with the number of people who'd come in, but it would appear that with springtime arriving in New York, people decided they needed to go out and be stupid. Unfortunately, that meant that several kids had gotten caught in the crossfire. I had a couple with broken bones, more than a few with cuts and gashes in their heads, arms, and legs, plus the usual handful of kids that come into the emergency room with spring colds.

The door to the lounge opened and I looked over, smiling when I saw Bella waddling in with Emmett right behind her. The breathtaking smile on my wife's face was so much better than the painful grimace that filled her face just two weeks ago. The sight of my wife in pre-term labor, knowing that if we couldn't get it to stop that we'd lose our babies, was one memory that I'd like to get rid of. I'd never felt so helpless as I did at that moment.

"Hey, you," Bella said, placing her hands on her belly as she walked over to me. "How was your shift?"

I stood up, sliding my arms around her and giving her a chaste kiss. "Long and busy. I'm ready for a couple of days off."

"I'm ready for you to have a couple of days off, too," Bella murmured, placing one of her hands on my chest and fisting my scrub top. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," I whispered, brushing her hair out of her face. "Come on; let's get you up to Esme's office for our appointment with her and Victoria."

Bella nodded. "Okay."

I kept my arm wrapped around her waist and looked over at Emmett, who was trying very hard to pretend that he wasn't listening to just how pathetic we were. "Thanks for getting her here safely."

"You're welcome," Emmett said, closing his locker and pulling his stethoscope around his neck. "Let us know how the appointment goes."

"We will," I replied.

Bella and I walked out of the lounge and over to the elevator. Nearly every nurse and most of the other doctors working wave and called out a greeting to Bella. While I knew she appreciated it, all it did was remind her that she couldn't work right now. Bella understood why she couldn't work, the babies came first, but to Bella, her work with children got her through so much — too much, really.

The door to Esme's office was open when we came up to it. While I had been resistant to allow Carlisle and Esme to help pay on our bills, I had to admit that weight of doing it all had been too much for me to handle on my own. Between student loans, credit cards, and basic monthly expenses, we'd barely been able to put back any in savings.

"Knock, knock," Bella giggled, pulling Esme and Victoria's attention to us. Other than walking around the apartment and the short walks to the elevator and such for her appointments, Bella had been advised to spend as much time as she could off of her feet. She wasn't on official bed rest, but we both knew that we were lucky to have gotten labor to stop last time; we didn't need to push it further.

"Hey, sweetheart," Esme greeted us, standing up and rushing around her desk to get to Bella. However, instead of hugging my wife, Esme dropped her hands down to Bella's belly, saying, "Hello, my sweet grandchildren."

"It's like I don't exist," Bella groused, winking at me.

"Don't be flippant," Esme laughed, shifting her eyes up to Bella's. "You look tired. Did you sleep last night?"

"Yep," Bella lied and we all knew it. Though, I understand why she fibbed. Nighttime was the hardest for both of us; the shadows crept closer, taunted us — especially when we were alone.

"Hmm, okay," Esme replied, clearly not believing Bella.

"Let's head down to the exam room before you sit down," Victoria suggested, standing up.

"Alright," Bella replied with a sigh.

I kept my arm wrapped around her waist as we followed Victoria and Esme down to my mother's examination room. Once they'd recorded her weight, causing her to scowl when the scale showed she'd gained thirty-pounds already, and had her pee in a cup, Bella slipped off her pants and climbed onto the bed, draping the blanket over her legs. She'd long since gotten past her shy stage with Victoria and Esme.

"So, how have you been feeling?" Victoria asked, sliding the black blood pressure cuff up Bella's arm.

"Tired," Bella replied. "I've started having some leg cramps, too. Down in my calf."

Victoria nodded, but didn't reply as she took Bella's blood pressure. Though she tried to hide it, I saw the reading. Her blood pressure was too high. Pulling her stethoscope from around her neck, Victoria listened to Bella's heart and lungs before motioning for her to lay back. Bella groaned and did as she was asked. Her belly protruded upward, making her look closer to thirty weeks than her nineteen weeks.

"You could talk to me, you know," Bella chided, resting with one arm behind her head. Victoria pushed Bella's shirt up and began feeling her belly. "I am a doctor; I know what that look on your face means."

"Oh? What does it mean?" Victoria asked, pulling out her measuring tape and laying it across Bella's stomach.

"It means that you're going to give me bad news," Bella said. Victoria frowned, confirming her theory. "Thought so."

"You're right, I am going to give you bad news," Victoria chirped, shifting her eyes up to Bella's. "You're blood pressure is too high."

"I know," Bella said. "It's gonna be with triplets."

Victoria sighed. "Yes, it will, but not this high. It's 156 over 98. Now, I'm tempted to admit you to the hospital for the next ten weeks until you deliver, but —"

"But you know I'll refuse," Bella grumbled.

"Yeah, I know you'll refuse." Victoria shook her head as she moved down between Bella's legs and slipped on a pair of gloves. Pushing the blanket up, Victoria slipped her fingers inside my wife, causing Bella to wince. "The good news is that you're not dilated."

"That is good news," I said, trying to find anything positive to focus on.

Bella snorted, but didn't say anything. Victoria tossed her gloves into the trash and I helped Bella sit back up. Placing her hand on her belly, Bella stared at Victoria with expectation. Esme was leaning against the door, taking notes in Bella's chart, but otherwise leaving Victoria to be the bearer of bad news.

Sighing, Victoria folded her arms in front of her and turned to me and Bella. "Okay, so here's the deal. Though, you're not quite halfway through your pregnancy, your body seems to think otherwise. The strain of carrying three babies is causing your body to work harder. Now, I know that you're not working, and that takes a lot of stress off of you, but I think, for now at least, that you need to be placed on bed rest."

Bella exhaled a heavy breath. I climbed onto the table behind her, sliding my arm around her waist and allowing my hand to rest on top of hers.

"I know it's not ideal, but I think it's necessary to give your babies as much time to develop as you can, Bella," Victoria added.

"No, I know," Bella murmured, softly. "And of course, I'll do it, because it's what's best for the babies, but I don't have to like it."

"You're right, you don't," Victoria admitted. She came over to Bella, slowly reaching out and taking hold of Bella's hand. "You and Edward have been through so much over the last year, Bella. Take this time as a chance to reconnect with each other, to prepare to have your entire lives change."

"We will," I said, tightening my arm around Bella. "Thank you."

"I'll see you next week." Victoria shifted her eyes up to mine. "Keep an eye on her blood pressure and let me know if it gets any higher. You have my cell number; don't be afraid to use it."

"I won't be," I replied.

Victoria nodded before she turned and walked out of the room, leaving me, Bella, and Esme. Sighing, my mother closed Bella's file and walked over to us. "I'll call you both a cab to take you back to your apartment. Do you want the others to know?"

"Not like I'll be able to keep it a secret for long," Bella groused.

Esme nodded before she leaned in and kissed Bella's forehead. "Love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Esme," Bella whispered.

"Yeah, I love you, too, Mom. Even though, you know, you ignored me and everything," I teased.

Esme laughed and swatted me on the arm. "Sorry, my darling boy; I love you, too. Even if you're being a bit whiny."

"Mother!" I exclaimed, gasping. "That hurts!"

"Yeah, yeah; you'll survive," Esme scoffed. "There will be a wheelchair waiting for you when you're ready to leave. No more than the steps needed to get in the chair and into the bathroom at your apartment, Bella. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied, gloomily.

Esme sighed, but didn't utter another word before she turned and walked out of the room. I grabbed Bella's pants and panties and helped her slip them back on. Her soft whimpers told me that she was struggling with the fact that she'd be confined even more. Like she said, she'd do it for the babies, but she didn't have to be happy about it.

Just as Esme said, there was a wheelchair waiting for us when Bella and I walked out of the room. Bella groaned, but sat down, allowing me to push her over to the elevator. I opted to take her out the front entrance of the hospital, rather than draw the attention of the staff in the emergency room. Some things were just easier.

Bella and I took a cab the three blocks to our apartment and tried to pay him, but the driver said the bill had already been taken care of. It would be just one more way that my mother was trying to take care of us. Once we were out of the cab, I swept Bella into my arms, ignored the protests trickling from between her lips, and carried her upstairs to our apartment.

Once Bella and I were inside, she went straight to bed while I made us some breakfast. Knowing that she wasn't happy about being put on strict bed rest, I hoped that a couple of her favorite muffins would help make this a little easier. With a plate full of Raisin Bran Muffins, I grabbed two cups of hot tea and went into our room, finding her leaning up against her pillows and looking out the window.

"Here," I said, offering her one of the cups of tea.

Bella smiled as she took it and placed it on her nightstand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Setting the plate of muffins on the bed next to her, I began stripping off my scrubs.

"Oh, baby, oh, baby," Bella snickered. "I get dinner and a show."

"More like breakfast and a show," I teased, slowly slipping my pants down over my ass. "And only for you, love."

Tossing my pants into the hamper along with my shirt, I grabbed a pair of pajamas, once again ignoring Bella's whining protest, and pulled them on. Climbing onto the bed next to her, I snatched a muffin off the plate.

"Hey, that's mine!" she groused.

"Sharing is good for you, baby," I snickered, biting off a huge chunk off the top. "Mmmm, this is good."

"Gross," Bella laughed. "Don't talk with food in your mouth. Esme taught you better than that."

Swallowing the mouthful I had, I nodded. "She did, and she'd kick my ass now for it, too. Of course, she'd grimace about us eating in bed, as well."

"Well, don't have a lot of choice now, do I?" Bella quipped. "Kind of stuck here."

"Yeah, you are," I muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Bella sighed, placing the plate of muffins on the bed and laying back on her pillows. "I just wasn't expecting it so soon. I figured I'd have another couple of weeks at least."

"Me too," I whispered, turning so that I was facing her. I reached over and placed my hand on her belly. "We have a lot to do and we're running out of time."

"We need clothes for the babies, furniture, more diapers." Bella huffed. "I won't be able to do all of that with you."

"Maybe I can see about getting you a wheelchair." Though the minute the words were out of my mouth, Bella frowned. "It's not optimal, love, but it's the best I can offer right now."

"I know, and I guess it's better than nothing." Bella ran her fingers through my hair. "You need to sleep."

"So do you," I pointed out.

"I'll sleep now that you're here with me," Bella whispered, almost making it sound like being afraid was a weakness.

"I sleep better with you, too," I admitted.

Moving the plate to our dresser, I helped strip Bella's clothes off and slip on a nightgown. Climbing back into our bed, I tucked the blankets up around us and held my wife as we drifted off to sleep with the feeling of our babies pushing against my touch.

**Thank you for all the reviews! **


	21. Chapter 20

**MAY 9th BPOV**

"You have to let me up," Edward laughed, making no effort to pull himself out of my arms.

I smiled against his shoulder. "Nope."

"B," he groaned, shifting his eyes down to me. Edward and I were lying back on the bed, me with my arms wrapped around him — well as much I could with my belly getting in the way. At twenty-one weeks, I seemed to have popped — again. "Baby, I have to work, but I promise to be home as soon as my shift is over."

"No, you won't because you're supposed to be going with Em and J to pick up the babies' cribs that we ordered last week." I sighed, and rolled onto my back, shifting so that I was leaning up against my pillows. The pressure of the babies on my bladder and lungs was too much when I lay flat on my back.

"I forgot," Edward grumbled, rolling onto his back and dropping his arm over his eyes. "Okay, well, I'll be home as soon as we get those and make it back across the city. Shouldn't take long, right?"

"Nah," I said. "Not more than an hour or so. You know, depending on traffic."

Edward groaned and turned onto his side, looking up at me. "Your mom will be here with you, though. That will be nice."

I nodded and smiled, thinking of having Renee here with me for the day. She and I had spoken on the phone every day since I'd been put on bed rest, but due to her trying to wrap up her season with her ballet school, she hadn't been able to be with me while Edward was at work. Today, however, was just me and my mother.

"It will be, but I'll still miss you," I giggled.

"I'll miss you, too," Edward said, leaning up and kissing me. "But now, I'd better get in the shower. Something tells me my patients aren't going to want a doctor that stinks."

"You don't stink," I murmured. "But all the same, Em would make it an issue. You know how he is."

"I do," Edward sighed.

Climbing off of the bed, he went into the bathroom. A moment later, I heard the shower turn on. Sighing, I nestled myself into the pillows behind me and picked up the remote to the television and turned it on. I'd never been one to watch television, but since I was stuck in bed, there wasn't a lot I could do. It'd been two weeks since Victoria and Esme sentenced me to bed rest and I'd already read more than a dozen books, watched three times as many movies, and managed to buy the babies some clothes — online of course. I tried to buy neutral colors, since we'd decided not to find out if we were having boys or girls, or a combination of both. Better safe than sorry. Especially since Edward and I couldn't afford to waste money on clothes that we wouldn't need. What if all three babies were girls and we ended up with three boys? They would look pretty silly in pink jammies.

"Anything good on?" Edward asked as he came out of the bathroom. I bit my lip as I looked over at him. He had his towel wrapped around his hips, though I could see the hair leading down toward his delicious cock. God, I missed the taste of him in my mouth, the feeling of him inside of me. "Um, B?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, what?"

Edward smirked before ripping the towel from around his waist. His semi-hard cock hung between his legs, begging me to taste him. I licked my lips, fisting my fingers around the blanket covering my legs.

"Baby," I whimpered, reaching for him.

"What do you want?" Edward asked, crossing the room and climbing onto the bed so that he was kneeling beside me. I kept my eyes locked on his as I wrapped my hand around his cock, feeling him harden in between my fingers. "Oh, fuck."

"Yeah, we should fuck," I purred, pumping him slowly.

"B, you know we can't," Edward gritted, shifting his hips so that he was thrusting his cock in my hand. "But, fuck me, I want you."

"I want you, too," I moaned, trying to shift so that I was on my knees. However, Edward placed his hands on my shoulders and pinned me against the bed. Sliding away from me, his cock fell from my grip, causing both of us to moan. "E!"

"B, you know that I love you, but we can't have sex."

I pouted. "But I want to!"

"I do, too, but we can't." Sighing, Edward climbed off the bed and grabbed a pair of boxer briefs out of the dresser. Pulling them on, he managed to get his hard cock inside, causing me to whine again. "B, don't do that. Please?"

"Do what?" I groused. "Long to feel my husband's dick in my mouth? Or inside of my pussy?"

"B!" Edward groaned, falling back on the bed. Lobbing his head to the side, he looked over at me. "You know that I want nothing more than to be buried inside of you, don't you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I do."

"Baby, with your blood pressure already too high, and the fact that you've already been in pre-term labor once, we — we just can't taking that risk. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." I huffed. "You're right, but I just miss you. We've always had such good sex."

"Yeah, we have," he muttered. "And I miss it, but the safety of the babies and your health is more important."

"Yeah, I know," I grumbled.

Edward sat up and turned toward me. "I love you, B. You've handled all of this so much better than I would have been able to."

I blushed and dropped my hands to my belly. "I love you, too. And our babies are worth it."

"That they are," Edward murmured before he stood up and finished getting ready for work. Once he was dressed, he came over and sat down on the bed next to me. Taking hold of my hand, Edward smiled. "If you need me —"

"You're just a phone call away," I finished for him. Every time he left me to go to work, he said the same thing. Leaning forward, I kissed him. "Be safe today."

"I promise," he whispered against my lips just as the sound of someone knocking on our apartment door. "That would be Renee. I'll send her in."

"Thanks," I murmured.

Edward stood up and walked out of our room. A moment later, I heard him greet my mother, telling her to call if I needed anything. I rolled my eyes, but I knew he was only being like this because he loved me and our babies. The door to the apartment closed and a moment later, Renee appeared in the doorway to my bedroom.

"That husband of yours worries too much," she said, laughing. Coming over to the bed, she climbed onto Edward's side and stretched her legs out. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, fat, bored," I rattled off. "And I'm pretty sure I smell."

Renee smiled. "Well, how about I help you into the bathroom so that you can take a shower. Then, if you're good, I'll make you some breakfast."

"Hmm, what will you make me?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Chocolate chip waffles," Renee replied. I moaned, knowing just how good her waffles are. "Sound good?"

"Yes, ma'am," I snickered. "Thanks for being here, Mom. Makes E feel better when someone is here with me."

"Makes me feel better, too," Renee murmured.

Renee helped me off the bed, keeping one hand on my back and one hand on my belly as I waddled into the bathroom. If it wasn't for the worry etched on my mother's face, I would have been annoyed with the way she touched me. But Renee worried, and I couldn't blame her. She'd already lost my dad and nearly lost me — both to my own grief and at the hands of Jacob Black. She could worry about me all she wanted.

I braced myself on the vanity and began to strip off my clothes while Renee started the shower. Hovering over me, Renee helped me into the shower, pulling the curtain around me. The warm water felt amazing on my neck and shoulders. Placing my hand on the shower wall, I turned and let the water beat down on my back, eliciting a moan.

"Um, sweetheart, are you okay?" Renee snickered.

I snapped my eyes open. "Yeah, sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Renee laughed. "I can remember how good a shower felt when I was as big as you."

"Yeah, but you were nearly due," I teased, pouring some shampoo in my hand and working it through my hair. "I'm only at twenty-one weeks, yet I looked like a beached whale."

"You do not," Renee disagreed. "You look beautiful. You look happy."

I smiled and tilted my head back into the water. "I am happy. I'm terrified that something is going to go wrong, and we'll lose one or all of the babies, but E and I are working really hard to being honest with how we feel. I don't know; I guess, I'm starting to feel like, just maybe, E and I will get our happy ending."

"You will," Renee said. "If anyone deserves one, it's the two of you."

"I hope so," I whispered, grabbing my bottle of conditioner.

An hour later, I'd showered, pulled on a clean set of pajamas, had gotten back into bed, and eaten several of Renee's chocolate chip waffles. She'd cleaned up the kitchen and then settled on the bed with me, turning on some sappy chick-flick. Rolling onto my side, my eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep.

—MBTFS—

I'm not sure how long I'd been asleep when I heard the phone start ringing. Groaning, I waited for Renee to answer it, but when it rang two more times, I peeled my eyes open and looked around for her, only to find myself alone. Rolling onto my back, I pushed myself up in the bed and grabbed the phone off of my nightstand.

"Hello?" I answered, groggily.

"Bella, where's your mom?" Carlisle asked without as much as a greeting.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "In the other room, I guess."

"Can you call for her, please?" Carlisle asked, but there was an underlining tone that made me nervous.

"Carlisle, what's wrong?" I demanded.

"Just get your mom, sweetheart," he whispered. "Please."

"Okay," I muttered. Dropping the phone down to my chest, I yelled. "Mom?"

Renee came rushing into mine and Edward's room a moment later, an apron on and her hands covered with flour. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied, holding the phone out to her. "Carlisle wants to talk to you."

"Oh, um, okay." Renee wiped her hands on the front of my apron before she came over to my bed and sat down, taking the phone from me. Bringing it to her ear, she said, "Hello . . . What? How?" Renee shifted her eyes over to me, and I saw the terror filling them. "Oh, my God. Is he okay? . . . Yes . . . yes . . . Carlisle, are you sure? . . . Okay, I will. Keep me updated." Renee closed her eyes and ended the call.

"Mom, what's wrong?" the words tumbled out of my mouth with a tremble.

"Sweetheart," Renee started, looking over at me. "It's Edward. He'd been hurt at work."

I could feel the color draining from my face. My lips trembled and I shook my head. "I — Is he okay?"

"For now," Renee muttered. Using the back of my hand, I brushed the tears off my face and threw the covers off of my legs. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Where the hell do you think I'm going?" I snarled. "My husband needs me."

"Bella, honey, you can't go to the hospital," Renee said, trying to stop me from climbing out of bed. However, I pushed her away, causing her to stumble back into the dresser. "Bella!"

"I have to go to him, Momma," I cried. "He needs me. Please, E needs me!"

"Sweetheart —"

"No, Momma, E has been there for me every time I needed him. Please, you have to help me!" reaching out to her, my body shook with my sobs.

"Okay," she cried, grabbing my hand. "But you have to calm down."

"I'll try," I whimpered. "Please, just help me."

Renee picked up the phone and called James and Laurent, explaining what had happened. Less than two minutes later, they came bursting into my room. Without a word, James lifted me out of my bed while Laurent grabbed my keys to the apartment. James carried me downstairs. While I expected him to put me in a cab, James started walking toward the hospital, muttering, "It's faster."

I tightened my arms around his neck and whispered, "Thanks."

A few minutes and several awkward glances later, James carried me into the emergency room. Rose and Alice were standing at the nurses' desk with Esme when we came in. Esme looked over at me and scowled.

"You're supposed to be in bed," she groused. Rose rushed over and grabbed a wheelchair, bringing it over to me. James set me in the chair, kissing my forehead.

"Is he okay?" I asked, ignoring the scowl on Esme's face.

"He lost a lot of blood," Esme choked out, bringing her hand up to her lips. "He passed out."

"B." At the sound of Emmett's voice, I looked to my left as he, Jasper, and Carlisle came out of one of the trauma rooms. "He's in here."

Rose grabbed the back of my wheelchair and rolled me past the three of them and into Edward's room. I brought my hand up to my mouth, stifling the scream that wanted to come out. Edward was lying on the bed, his scrubs were splattered with blood, and a long, white bandage covered the lower half of his right arm. Rose rolled me to Edward's left side and I reached out, grabbing his hand.

"Is he going to be okay?" I whispered, knowing they were all right behind me.

"He should be fine," Carlisle said. "Luckily."

Nodding, I brought Edward's hand to my lips, my tears pouring down my face. "You promised me you'd be safe, E. You promised."

Overcome by my emotions, I wept into the tender flesh on my husband's hand, hoping that Carlisle was right and that he'd be okay. The babies and I needed him too much to lose him now.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Happy New Years! **


	22. Chapter 21

**MAY 9th EPOV**

Leaving my wife at home was hard. Leaving my wife at home, knowing that she was horny made me even harder. I wanted her, I needed her, but the risks were just too high. Sighing, I walked the three blocks to the hospital and into the lounge, where Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were standing with Rose and Alice.

"Hey, how's B?" Alice was the first to ask, but that's only because she threw her elbow into Jasper's gut to stop him. I bit back my laughter at the pixie.

"She's good," I said, almost believing it. Being on bed rest had been much harder on Bella than she wanted to admit. She wasn't the type of person to just lie around and do nothing. "Been watching a lot of television."

"Oh, must be a hard life," Emmett teased.

While everyone laughed, I didn't. Putting my bag in my locker and grabbing my stethoscope, I wrapped it around my neck and looked over at him. "She's really struggling with it right now. B feels guilty for not being able to work, for letting all of us and the hospital down. It's a hard life for her right now, but she's putting aside her feelings and doing everything she can for the babies. Might not mean much to you, Em, but it means a hell-of-a-lot to me."

Closing my locker, I turned on my heel and walked out of the lounge. I grabbed a chart and went in to check on my first of many patients. This one happened to be a six year old boy, who had a cut on his forehead. He was sitting in his father's lap, sobbing while the man held a bandage against the wound. The boy's mother was pacing back and forth and trying to calm down the three month old baby girl in her arms.

"Hello," I said, smiling as I walked into the room and pulled my stool over so that I was sitting in front of the little boy. "I'm Edward. You must be Max."

"My head hurts," he cried.

"I can see," I murmured. "Can I look at it?"

Max nodded, but stayed nestled in his father's arms. His father pulled the bandage away from Max's head, and I whistled under my breath. There was a three inch gash started at the base of his hairline and reaching into his soft, blond hair.

"How'd this happen?" I asked, pulling on a pair of gloves so I could examine it a little more closely.

"He was trying to get into Ellie's crib," Max's mother explained. "He slipped and fell, hitting his head on the corner of her dresser. There was blood everywhere, and it just wouldn't stop bleeding." His mother released a muffled sob. "Is he okay?"

"He's gonna be fine," I assured her. "Head wounds tend to bleed a lot. I'm not seeing any signs of a concussion, which is good. We'll do a few stitches and put some butterfly strips on it to keep the wound closed," I explained. Dropping my attention down to Max, I sighed. "But no more climbing in with your sis, little man. That's very dangerous."

"She was crying," he whimpered. "I wanted to take care of her."

"And I'm sure you do a fantastic job taking care of her, but next time, let your mom or dad get her, okay?" I asked.

Max sighed and nodded. "Yeah, it was a dumb move."

"Well," I started, "between you and me, it won't be your last. We boys are a little hard-headed."

"Mommy tells me and Daddy that all the time," Max snickered. He leaned toward me. "But Daddy says that Mommy loves us because we're hard-headed."

"I bet he's right," I murmured. Behind him, his mother scoffed, while he father laughed.

Half an hour later, I'd placed three stiches in Max's head and had them on their way out of the emergency room. Max hadn't even flinched when I closed his wound. I think he was trying to prove to his parents that he was a big boy. He reminded me a lot of Emmett with the way he was trying to be brave when he was scared to death. Emmett took on his role as the oldest very seriously; sometimes, we tended to forget that.

Walking over the nurses' station, I made my last few notes in Max's chart before handing it over to Carol. I turned to get another one, but found Emmett leaning against the counter with a frown on his face. However, before I could speak, he did.

"I can't stop being an ass. I don't know; this is all so different. Fuck, E, you and B are having babies. It's like you're a grown up or something." Emmett sighed and looked over at me. "When the fuck did that happen?"

I smiled. "Not sure. Maybe when I walked into that lounge and saw B standing there after thirteen years. Or it could have been when we had to fight for our lives after that motherfucker attacked us. Hell, Em, who says we've grown up?"

"You have," Emmett replied, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry about before."

"Don't worry about it," I murmured, shrugging my shoulders.

Emmett opened his mouth to argue with me, but before he could, the doors the ambulance bay was thrown open. We looked back as two paramedics came bursting in with a man thrashing around on the stretcher. Emmett and I shared a look before we rushed over, helping them drag him into one of the trauma rooms.

"What'd you got?" Emmett asked.

"Eighteen year old male was found walking down the middle of thirty-eight and West Fourth. He has lacerations to his arms, but otherwise looks okay. He's high on something, though we're not sure what since we can't get anything out of him," one of the paramedics explained. "BP is 160/102, his airway is clear. He has track marks on both arms, so we're thinking he's a shooter."

"Let's get some restraints in here," I yelled, trying to hold the junkie down. However, before the nurse behind me could even take a step, the junkie tore himself out of all of our arms and flew off the bed, straight into the glass doors to the trauma room. The glass shattered around him. The junkie picked up a long piece of glass; his eyes were wild and crazy. "Hey, calm down."

"Fuck you," he snarled, his free hand was clenching and unclenching.

Behind him, I saw Carlisle pick up the phone and call for security, before turning and telling Rose and Alice to back up. Rose had a look of horror on her face as she kept her eyes locked on Emmett. I understood, having had to sit helplessly by once before and watch as a crazed-madman tried to destroy my world.

"Make it stop!" the junkie screamed, bringing his free hand up to his grimy, blond hair.

"Make what stop?" Emmett asked, shooting me a look as he took a step to his right.

However, the junkie saw him and thrust his arm at Emmett. Before I realized what I was doing, I leapt on him, tackling him to the ground. Though, the junkie rolled us so that he was hovering over me. He brought his arm down to stab me, but I threw my arm up in the arm, causing the glass to slice into my skin.

As people screamed around me and someone pulled the junkie off of me, all I could see was the warm, red blood trickling from the cut on my arm and the feeling of déjà vujust before I passed out.

—MBTFS—

My mouth felt like I'd licked a goat's ass, or at least how I imagined a goat's ass would taste. Trying to get the taste off my tongue, I opened my mouth at the same time my eyes twittered open. The first thing I noticed was the fact that I was laying on a bed in one of the trauma rooms. The next was the fact that my wife — my pregnant with triplets and supposed to be on bed rest wife — was sitting next to my bed with her hand wrapped around mine.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I snarled, causing her to look up at me. The relief in her eyes was evident, but the fact still remained that she was supposed to be at home and in bed. Bella started to stand, but I tore my hand out of hers and pushed her back into her seat. "Don't even think about it."

"E —" Before Bella could as much as finish the next word trying to tumble out of her mouth, the door to my room was slid open and Carlisle, Renee, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice came trickling inside.

"What the hell is she doing here?" I yelled, gesturing to Bella. "She's supposed to be at home, in bed. Not sitting here!"

"Edward, calm down," Carlisle ordered, walking around Bella and placing a hand on my shoulder.

Bella was sobbing, one hand still resting on my bed while the other one was covering her heart. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Didn't they understand that if something happened to Bella or the babies that I'd be done for?

"B," I whispered, causing Bella to look up at me. "I'm sorry."

"I had to come," she cried, grabbing my hand. "I had to, E. You — you . . ." Trailing off, Bella crumbled in her chair.

"Em," I murmured, reaching for Bella.

Without a word, Emmett came around and lifted her out of her wheelchair and placed her on my bed. Bella curled up around me, clutching onto the front of my shirt. It wasn't until I tried to wrap my arms around her that I felt the ache in my right arm. Shifting my eyes down, I saw the white bandages wrapped around my arm, the blood splattered on my scrubs, and understood why Bella was at my side. If it had been Bella here, I'd been here for her, too — even if I had to move Heaven and Hell to do so.

"How bad did I get cut?" I whispered, wrapping my good arm around Bella when she started crying harder. "Baby, sheesh, don't cry."

"You could have been killed," she wailed, tightening her hold on my shirt.

"The glass went deep, but luckily it didn't nix any of your arteries. There's some tendon damage in your arm, so you might need some physical therapy, but you should be just fine — with time," Carlisle explained.

"And the guy — the junkie — how's he?" I asked.

Bella growled and leaned away from me. "Who fucking cares how that son of a bitch is? He could have killed you!"

"B, if you don't calm down, I am calling Victoria and having her admit you to the fucking hospital," I threatened. Bella glared at me. "I know you're scared, I am, too, baby, but you have to calm down for the sake of the babies."

"You needed me," she whispered, a look of shame filling her face. "You needed me and I wasn't here."

"You were at home, where I needed you the most," I murmured.

Bella shook her head before resting it against my chest once again. "Whatever."

Knowing that she needed time to deal with this, I shifted my eyes back over to Carlisle. "How is he?"

"He's been taken to the psyche ward to detox. After we sedated him, we found heroin, cocaine, and LSD in his system. He's lucky to be alive with all of that shit in his system," Carlisle explained.

Nodding, I sighed. "How long is my recovery gonna be?"

"As long as it takes," Carlisle quipped, and while he spoke to me, I knew his next set of words was directed to both me and Bella. "Don't worry about anything; we'll take care of it. Understand?"

"Yeah," I murmured. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Carlisle looked over at Renee. "Is the cab waiting for them?"

"Yes," she said, shakily. "James and Laurent are going to take them back home and make sure they're settled."

Carlisle nodded and looked over at me. "Take it easy, Edward. You don't want to pull your stitches."

"I will," I promised.

Bella lifted her head off my chest and looked over at Renee. "Love you, Momma."

"I love you, too, sweetheart," Renee whispered. "I'll check on you both tomorrow. Rest, hear me?"

"I promise," Bella murmured.

Emmett lifted Bella off of my bed and carried her out of the room while Jasper helped me climb off the bed. Rose reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder as I walked past her.

"Thank you for keeping him safe," she whispered.

"You're welcome," I replied, unsure that I really did anything of the sort. When I walked out of the room, everyone stopped and looked at me. _Just like old times_, I thought.

Emmett helped Bella into the back of the cab, whispering in her ear that everything was going to be okay. Stepping out of the way, he simply patted me on the back. "Dude, that was some ninja shit in there. Don't be so stupid next time."

"I'll try not to," I scoffed, before sliding in next to my wife.

James climbed in next to me, while Laurent took the front seat, ignoring the grimace coming from the driver. It only took us a minute to get the three blocks to our apartment, not really worth the price of the cab ride, but I didn't argue with anyone. If they wanted to pay for the ride, I'd let them. I winced when I climbed out, my body feeling sore from being slammed into the floor. James lifted Bella out of the cab while Laurent tossed the driver the price for the ride. James carried Bella up to our apartment and laid her in our bed.

"We're bringing you dinner tonight," James said, leaving no argument in the matter. "If you need anything, call and one of us will come to your beck and call."

"Okay, honey," Bella murmured, thickly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I waited until James and Laurent left before I stripped off my scrubs, tossing them onto the floor. Pulling on a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt, I climbed onto the bed next to Bella. Without a word, she rolled onto her side and draped herself across my body, letting her tears fall once again. All I could do was hold my wife and reassure her that I was okay.

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	23. Chapter 22

**MAY 21st BPOV**

Rolling from my left side to my right, I tried to get comfortable, but seeing as I was the size of a house and had been stuck in bed for the last . . . I'd lost track of how long. It felt like months, when it'd really only been around four weeks. Logically, I knew that it was important that I stay in bed, and with the exception of when I insisted on going to the hospital when Edward had been attacked, I'd followed Esme and Victoria's orders to the letter. Even though both of them and Edward had bitched at me for going down there, I stood by my actions. My husband — the one person who'd been through hell with me — needed me. I wouldn't turn my back on him.

"You okay?" Edward asked, sliding his hand around my stomach, or trying to at least. I swear my belly had grown by several inches in the last few days since my appointment with Victoria and Esme.

"Yeah," I lied, trying to find another comfortable position.

"You're a horrible liar, love," Edward laughed, bringing his hand up to my face. My eyes dropped to the six inch scar on his lower arm. Edward had gotten the stitches out three days ago, but it was still red and angry looking. An inch to the left and he would have bled out.

Shaking my head, I swallowed against the lump in my throat. "I just can't get comfortable."

Edward frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," I snickered. "Oh, wait, maybe it is. You did put three babies inside of me."

"Well, that's because I'm awesome," Edward boasted.

Rolling my eyes, I laughed. "Can't argue with you there."

"Ha! That's a first," Edward teased.

"I don't always argue with you," I groused. "If you'd just admit that I was right, then we'd have fewer arguments."

"Oh, baby, because you're stuck in bed, I'm going to ignore that statement." Edward climbed out of bed, stretching his arms over his head. "How about some breakfast?"

"Believe it or not, I'm not very hungry," I muttered, rolling onto my back and leaning back against my pillows. Placing my hands on my belly, I sighed. "I don't feel very good."

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting back on the bed. He reached out and covered my hand with his.

"I have a headache, and my stomach is upset," I replied. Edward frowned before reaching over to his nightstand and grabbing his blood pressure cuff. "We don't need to check."

"Humor me," he said, and I knew better than to argue with him. Sighing, I held my arm out so he could slide the cuff around my upper arm. Once it was on, I let my arm relax and took a deep breath. Edward began pumping it, and the cuff squeezed my arm — hard. I grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I muttered.

However, Edward ignored me and continued to read my blood pressure. Though he tried to keep the concern off of his features, but failed miserably. My blood pressure had sky rocketed. Edward reached over and picked up the phone, calling Esme.

"Mom, Bella's BP has shot up . . . 172 over 102 . . . I know . . . headache and upset stomach." Edward tucked the phone between his shoulder and his chin and tore the blankets off my legs. Reaching over, he grabbed my foot and pressed down — not that I could see over my belly, of course. "Yes, they're swollen . . . Okay . . . okay, we're on our way . . . I will be. Love you, too."

Edward ended his call to Esme, but immediately began making another call. "Em, hey, I need you here now . . . It's B. Her BP has gotten dangerously high. Esme is waiting at the hospital for us, but I need you to help me get her there . . . I'd lift her myself, but with my arm . . . Okay, thanks. See you in two."

Edward tossed the phone onto the bed and began stripping his pajamas off and pulling on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Grabbing a pair of his sweats and one of Emmett's shirts, he looked over at me and tried to smile, but I saw the worry in his eyes.

"Em will be here in a minute to help us get to the hospital. We figured it'd be faster than calling an ambulance," he explained before coming over to me. "Lift your arms."

Doing as he said, I raised my arms, allowing him to tug my nightgown off. "You knew I'd protest the ambulance, didn't you?"

Edward tried not to smile as he helped me put on Emmett's shirt. Though, it was getting too small. "I did." Climbing off the bed, he reached for my hand. "Can you stand up?"

"I can try," I murmured, swinging my legs off the side of the bed. Grabbing Edward's hand, I stood up, but the moment I did, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. "Fuck," I cried, sitting back down.

"Oh, baby, it's okay," Edward said, kneeling in front of me. "Take a deep breath."

I did as he asked, feeling the pain easing up. Lifting my eyes to his, my lips began to tremble. "It's still too soon."

"I know," Edward murmured, sliding the pants over my feet and pulling them up to my knees. "Let's just get you to the hospital, okay?"

Agreeing, I placed my hands on Edward's shoulders and stood up, allowing him to pull the pants all the way up. I'd just sat back down on the edge of the bed when Emmett started knocking on the door to our apartment. Edward scrambled to his feet and rushed out to answer it, coming back a moment later with not only Emmett following him, but Alice, Rose, and Jasper, too.

"Hey, B," Alice said, softly. "You okay?"

"No," I whimpered. "I think I'm in labor again."

"Shit," Rose swore. "Alright, well, let's get going then."

Emmett came over to me and placed one arm around my back while putting the other under my legs. Grunting, which did nothing to help my self-esteem, Emmett lifted me off the bed. I knew I was fat, but did he really have to make that sound? He leaned in and kissed the side of my head before following Edward, Alice, Rose, and Jasper out of the apartment.

We had to have looked funny as we made the three blocks to the hospital. Me in Emmett's arms, Edward at our side, Rose and Alice were in front of us, while Jasper was charging up the block in front of them. It was almost enough to make me laugh — almost. The fact was that I was terrified of losing one or all of the babies was too fresh on my mind.

Carlisle was waiting outside of the emergency room for us when we walked up. Without a word, Emmett placed my in the wheelchair and they pushed me inside. Of course, that meant every doctor and nurse in the emergency room stopped to stare at us. Clenching my hands into fists, I tried to ignore it. I knew they only cared, but I hated the attention.

We loaded into the elevator and headed up to the maternity floor. When the doors opened, we found Esme and Victoria waiting for us. Esme gestured for Carlisle to follow her. We'd just entered the room when I felt another contraction wrap around me.

"Oh, fuck!" I gasped, clutching my stomach.

"Get her on the bed," Esme ordered, rushing around us and pulling the blankets back. Emmett lifted me out of the chair and placed me on the bed. Edward was immediately at my side, grabbing my hand.

Taking several deep breathes, the pain finally started to ease. Shifting my eyes up to Esme and Victoria, I whimpered. "It's too early."

"I know it is," Victoria said, sitting on the side of my bed and feeling my stomach. "We're going do everything we can to stop your labor again, but I need you to calm down. Please, just calm down."

"I'm trying," I cried.

A few minutes later, they had me hooked up to several monitors and were watching my contractions, my blood pressure, and mine and the babies heartbeats. Esme had checked my cervix, and thankfully, I wasn't dilated. That was the only good news we had. My blood pressure was too high, and I had edema in my hands, legs, and feet.

Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle had settled around us, talking quietly amongst themselves. Ten minutes after I'd been brought in, Renee came rushing in, eyes wild and a scared, frantic look on her face.

"Bella, are you okay?" she asked, nearly pushing Emmett out of the way as she came over to my bed.

"No," I groused, grabbing Edward's hand as another contraction hit me. This one wasn't as painful as the first two, but it wasn't pleasant, either. "I wish Daddy was here."

"Me too," Renee murmured, taking the chair Emmett offered her and settling next to my bed. Rolling onto my other side, I tried to stifle my tears, but failed.

"Don't cry, B," Edward said, drawing the attention of everyone. "It's gonna be okay."

"You — you can't know that," I whimpered. "The odds are stacked against us. And with my blood pressure being high, and the swelling, it's going to be a miracle if we manage to make it through the night, much less seven more weeks."

"Our babies are fighters," Edward whispered, laying his head on the side of my bed and smiling. "They'd have to be with you as their momma."

"E," I cried, grabbing his hand and pulling it up to my lips.

"Shh, I know," he whispered. "I know."

—MBTFS—

Once again luck seemed to be on our side. After a few hours, my contractions stopped. Theo only problem was that my blood pressure was still too high. Late in the afternoon, Esme and Victoria came back into my room. Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle had gotten called down to the emergency room due to a trauma, leaving just Edward and Renee at my bedside. I was lying on my left side, trying very hard to keep from panicking.

"How're you feeling?" Esme asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Been better," I admitted. "My head still hurts, but at least the contractions have stopped."

"Yeah, that's good," Esme murmured, placing her hand on my leg. "So, here's the deal. You're being admitted to the hospital until you deliver, which hopefully will be several weeks from now."

"I figured as much." I sighed, and rolled onto my back, adjusting the bed so that I was sitting up further. "Are we going to try to strengthen the babies' lungs with steriods?"

"For now, we're going to wait. I'm hoping that with the help of medication that we can get your blood pressure down and prevent you from going into labor again," Victoria explained. "I know it's not ideal, but this is the best chance we can give your babies, Bella."

"No, I know." Huffing out a deep breath, I brought my hands up to my belly. "We'll make it to thirty weeks. Somehow — we have to make it."

"I believe you." Victoria smiled before she turned and walked out of my room.

"Renee, why don't we go get some dinner," Esme suggested.

"Okay." Renee stood up, leaned over, and hugged me. "I'll be back in the morning. If you need me, just call."

"I love you, Mom," I murmured. "Thank you for coming."

"I love you, too." Renee kissed my cheek before looking over at Edward. "Get some rest, Edward."

"Yeah, I'll try," Edward scoffed. Renee and Esme left and Edward looked up at me. "Finally alone."

"They love us," I said, quietly.

"They do," he agreed. Bringing my hand up to his lips, Edward smiled. "You're beautiful."

"Oh, please," I grumbled.

"What? You are!" he insisted.

I shook my head. "I'm a mess, E."

"A beautiful mess," he laughed.

"Do you think the babies will be okay?" I asked, whimpering.

In a heartbeat, Edward was out of his chair and sitting on the side of my bed. "I don't know, B. I hope so, I pray that they are, but I don't know. No matter what happens though, you and me, we're gonna be in this together. I'm never letting you go."

"I hope not," I cried, grabbing the front of his shirt. "I love you too damn much to lose you."

"I love you, too, B." Edward laid down next to me, wrapping his arm around me and holding me as I clung to him, hoping that our babies would be safe for a while longer.

**Thank you for all the reviews. There are nine chapters to go in our little story!**


	24. Chapter 23

**JUNE 4th EPOV**

With one last signature, I closed the patient chart I'd been working on and handed it over to Carol. Pocketing my pen, I walked over to the lounge and headed inside, finding Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper in front of their lockers. Where I'd just come off the night shift, they were just starting their day shifts.

"Hey, E," Alice chirped. "How's B?"

"Okay," I replied. "I peeked in on her at three this morning. She was asleep, thank goodness."

"Still not sleeping great?" Jasper asked, grabbing his stethoscope from his locker.

I sighed. "No. The babies are pressing on her lungs, making it hard for her to lie back, but when she sits up, they put pressure on her bladder. Even with the catheter in, she's uncomfortable."

"We'll stop by later and see her," Rose said, walking over to me and giving me a hug. "You're a good man, E."

"Um, thanks," I muttered, unsure of what else to say.

Without a word, Rose turned and walked out of the lounge. Laughing, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice followed, leaving me standing in front of my locker. It wasn't like Rose never said anything nice to me before, but she wasn't one to be so mushy. Usually, it was more of a slap on the back and a "keep making B smile" kind of compliment. Shaking my head, I pulled off my white coat and shoved it into my locker, grabbing my bag out before I pushed my locker door closed.

Doubling checking that I still had the next forty-eight hours off, I walked out of the lounge and over to the elevator. It'd been two weeks since Bella had been admitted to the hospital after going into pre-term labor again. They'd gotten her blood pressure down, but it was still too high. At twenty-five weeks, we both were praying the babies would wait at least another five weeks before demanding entrance into the world. As much as we wanted them here, we needed them to be stronger first.

I'd just stepped off of the elevator when my cellphone started ringing. Pulling it out of my back pocket, I expected it to be Bella asking me to sneak her in some bacon or maybe even some ice cream, but the number that came up on my ID was from out of state. Sighing, I flipped it open.

"This is Dr. Cullen," I said.

"Dr. Edward Cullen?" the man on the other end of the phone asked.

"Yes," I snipped.

The man laughed. "Thank goodness I got the right one. This is Phil Dwyer from Arlington Memorial Hospital in Vermont. I tended to your wife when she went into labor a couple months ago."

"Yes, I remember you, Dr. Dwyer. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," he replied. "How's your wife?"

"Tired," I laughed. "She was admitted to the hospital a couple of weeks ago after going into labor again. We were able to stop it, but her blood pressure has been too high, so she's here until the babies are born."

"I'm glad to hear that you were able to stop labor. Giving them a few more weeks will make them just that much stronger," Phil rambled.

"True," I murmured. "Were you just calling to check on her?"

Phil laughed again, this time sounding very nervous. "No, though I will admit to wondering how she was doing. She struck me as being quite the fighter. Plus, it's not every day that I encounter someone carrying triplets."

"She is," I agreed. "What can I do you for?"

Taking a deep breath, Phil said, "Well, I'm hoping that you and your wife would consider coming to work for me."

I wasn't sure I'd heard the man correctly, and sputtered out a garbled, "What?"

"I said, I'm hoping that you and Dr. Swan would consider coming to work for me. I know this is odd, I've never sought out doctors like this, but you and Dr. Swan come very highly recommended."

"By who?" I scoffed.

"Marcus Stevens," Phil replied.

I sighed. Marcus was the Chief of Staff over the entire hospital. It wasn't a secret about how much he cared for Bella. Before Jacob Black had attacked her the first time, they'd worked together at a free clinic. "I'm not sure what to say," I admitted.

"Well, you could let me tell you about the jobs first," Phil said, laughing.

"Okay," I replied, walking into the waiting room and sitting down. "Shoot."

"In six months, our pediatric attending will be retiring. Dr. Yin has been here almost fifty years and he wants to retire, but he's concerned about who comes in to take his place. I can't really blame him, he's spent the half-century building up the practice and doesn't want to see it fall into the wrong hands. So, I told him that I would search and see if I couldn't find someone capable of taking over his work."

"And you think me or Bella would be perfect?" I asked.

"Yes, and no," he chuckled. "While I think you're a fabulous doctor, Edward, I was hoping that Bella would take over our Pediatrics department."

"Oh," I said, frowning. "Shouldn't you be calling her then?"

"Well, she was going to be my next call, but since she's in the hospital, it seems better to talk to you about it first."

"Okay, so why were you going to call me?" I inquired.

"To offer you a job," he repeated. "While I'm hoping that maybe Dr. Swan will come in as a pediatric attending, we're looking for a general attending, as well. We've been short staffed for a while, but I'm just a little picky about who I bring into my hospital."

"Oh, okay," I said, sighing. "I don't know what to say."

"Look, I know this is sudden and I certainly don't expect an answer today. I value Dr. Stevens' opinion and know that when he tells me that you and your wife would be good additions to our team here, that he's right. We're a lot smaller than New York, but there is a real need for good doctors here."

I took a deep breath. "I'll have to talk to Bella about this. I just don't know."

"Look, I'm not in a hurry. Talk it over with your wife, but I understand that right now, you have three little somebodies that will need your attention. Just think about it," Phil said.

"I will. Thanks," I replied, sincerely.

Closing my phone, I ran my hand over my face and through my hair. Bella and I had always been adamant about staying in the city, but I had to admit that Phil's job offer did sound appealing. With a sigh, I stood up, shoved my phone back into my pocket, and proceeded down the hallway to Bella's room.

The door to her room was open when I got there, and I found Esme and Victoria sitting on either side of Bella's bed. While Esme was reading over Bella's stats, Victoria had her hands on Bella's stomach. Based on the look on my wife's face, I could tell she was annoyed.

"Don't just stand in the doorway, Edward," Esme giggled and looked over her shoulder at me. "Get your ass in here."

"Esme, much you use such vulgar language around my children," Bella laughed, but held her hand out to me. I crossed the room and grabbed it, weaving my fingers in with hers. "How was your shift?"

"Busy," I said, quietly. "Bus full of kids on their way back from a baseball game got sideswiped by a garbage truck. Nothing major, but a lot of stitches."

"Thank goodness." Bella turned back to Victoria. "So, how are the babies?"

"Still snug," she replied with a smile. "Everything looks good, Bella. They just need a few more weeks to mature before they come, so make sure they listen to you."

Esme snorted. "Yeah, they're Edward and Bella's babies; I doubt they'll listen any better than they did."

"Whatever," Bella muttered.

"We weren't that bad," I scoffed. Esme lifted her eyes to me, cocking an eyebrow. "We weren't!"

"Okay, I'm just gonna let you believe that, my darling boy," Esme giggled. She walked around Bella's bed and kissed my cheek. "Eat something that doesn't come out of a vending machine."

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered. Esme glared at me before she turned and walked out of Bella's room with Victoria right behind her. Reaching behind me, I grabbed my chair and pulled it up next to Bella's bed, sitting down with a sigh. "That feels good."

"What? Being off of your feet?" Bella asked, grimacing when she rolled onto her side.

"Yeah, but I was talking about being alone with you." I smirked. Bella blushed. "How'd you sleep?"

"Between the constant beeping from the monitors, the cuff tightening around my arm every hour, and the nurses coming in and out of my room, I managed a few hours," she said with a smile. "Good practice for when the babies are here, I guess."

"Yeah, I suppose so," I murmured.

"What are you not telling me?" The minute she asked, I closed my eyes and shook my head. Bella always could see right through me.

Opening my eyes, I leaned forward in my chair and placed my elbows on my knees. "I, um . . ." I paused and took a deep breath. "Remember Phil Dwyer? From the hospital in Vermont?"

"Yes," Bella said, slowly.

"He, um, called me a few minutes ago, and offered us a job," I replied with caution.

Bella inhaled sharply. "A job? In Vermont?"

"Yes," I murmured after a moment of hesitation. Bella rolled onto her back and pushed herself up in her bed. "I was surprised, too."

"I don't understand," Bella said. "We didn't apply for any jobs. Why would he think we'd accept them?"

"Well, apparently Dr. Stevens likes to brag about you," I laughed. Bella snorted, but didn't say anything else. "Bella, Phil wants you to run the pediatrics department."

"Oh, shit," Bella gasped.

"I know, right?" I shook my head. "He's asked me to come on as a general attending, which I'm not sure I want to do. I love working with kids."

"But," she prompted. "There is a but, isn't there?"

"But I can't lie and say that it's not a tempting offer," I admitted. "Smaller hospital, less demanding schedules. With three babies, we'd be able to find that balance a lot easier. Plus the cost of living in Vermont has to be cheaper than in the city."

"I don't know about that. I don't think there is any such thing as balancing life with triplets," Bella scoffed. "E, you're talking about us leaving New York, about us leaving Em, Ro, Ali, J, my mom, your parents, James, Laurent. Our families are here."

I nodded. "I know."

"You really want this?" she asked.

"I don't know." Sighing, I shifted my eyes up to hers. "I don't want to leave our families, B, but I have to admit that the idea of not raising our babies in the city is nice."

"But moving out of state?" Bella frowned. "E, we said we wouldn't leave Em, Ro, Ali, or J, but that's what you're saying we should do."

"No, it's not," I stammered. "But we can't make every decision about our lives based on what my brothers, Ro, and Ali are going to think. That way of thinking almost tore us apart once. I won't let that happen again."

Bella's lips began to tremble. "The last time one of us moved from each other, I lost everyone I loved, E. I can't lose them, any of them."

"Oh, baby," I murmured, standing up and sliding onto the edge of her bed. Bringing her hand up to my lips, I sighed. "You're never losing them, any of them, again. In hindsight, I should have made more effort to stay in touch with you."

"I should have, too," she huffed. "They hated us for moving a block away, E. If we move to Vermont, they're going to hate us again. I need them — all of them."

"They will not hate us," I said. "They might be upset at first, but eventually, they'll deal with it."

"You sound like you've already decided to take the offer," she murmured, looking up at me from under lashes.

"I haven't," I said. "There's still a lot we haven't talked about with Phil, like salary or benefit, but I think it's something we really need to consider."

Bella leaned back against her pillows. "You're right. It's the grown-up thing to do, right?"

I smiled. "Yeah."

"Being a grown-up kind of sucks," she grumbled.

"Yeah," I sighed, placing my hand on her belly. The babies, the one we'd dubbed as baby C, pushed against my hand. "They're being active today."

"Every moment of every day," Bella giggled. "I love it, though. Sometimes, I just watch them, imagining them in my arms."

"Soon, but not too soon," I chuckled, leaning over her legs and watching her. "You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

Bella bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm not."

"Yeah, you are," I said. "And you're beautiful, too."

"And fat," she groused.

"You're not fat," I scoffed. Bella raised an eyebrow at me. "You're not!"

"I am, but that's okay." Bella smiled. "Our babies are worth it."

"That they are, love," I murmured, leaning up and kissing her. "I love you."

Bella pressed her lips against mine again. "I love you, too."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know they're coming a little slower right now, but I've just had a lot of stuff going on in my real life. I'm doing the best I can, so please be understanding.**


	25. Chapter 24

**JULY 4th BPOV**

Shifting in my bed, I grabbed the side rail on my bed and used it to help me roll onto my side. Not that being on my side was any more comfortable than being on my back, but at least it was different. Hospital beds sucked; there wasn't any reason to sugarcoat that little fact. Grabbing the pillow that rested on the side of my bed, I somehow managed to shove it between my knees — which seeing as I was huge wasn't easy.

Of course nothing from the last six weeks had been easy. I'd just passed twenty-nine weeks and had been trying to keep my spirits up, but it hadn't been easy. I felt frustrated. Our babies were worth it, but I felt useless just laying here. All I could think about were all the little things we needed take care of: clothes, diapers, furniture. Of course, with our impending move, Edward and I had even bigger issues, like where we're going to live when we move to Vermont.

Shaking my head, I brought my hand down to my belly, feeling our babies squirming. I still wasn't a hundred percent sure we should take the job offers from Phil Dwyer, but after talking it over with Edward, and getting more details from Phil, Edward and I had decided to accept the positions being offered to us. Starting in October, Edward and I would start our new positions: him as a general attending and me as the head of pediatrics.

"Sweetheart." I looked over and saw Renee standing in the doorway of my hospital room with a brown paper bag in her hands and smile on her face. "Are you okay? I've been calling your name for two minutes."

"I'm fine," I lied. Truth to be told, I was confused as hell. Moving to Vermont was a huge step for me and Edward. Plus, I was terrified of how Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice would take the news. I mean, hell, they accused us of abandoning them when we moved out of the townhouse. Would they feel the same when we moved out of the city? Out of the state? Sighing, I rolled onto my back and pushed myself up in my bed. "What do you have?"

"Well," Renee said, smiling, "don't tell Esme, but I brought you a soda."

I laughed, knowing how much grief Esme had been giving Renee for sneaking me in treats. Two days before it had been a candy bar, and last week, it had been a stack of James' banana pancakes. "You're gonna get in trouble," I tittered, taking the can of Spite from her. Popping the can open, I took a sip, moaning at the bubbly, sweet taste. "Damn, that's good."

"I figured you'd enjoy it." Renee tossed the bag into the trash and sat down in her usual chair. She'd been here every day — well, on the days that Edward wasn't here. "So, what were you thinking about when I came in? You looked like you were miles away."

I frowned. "Vermont."

Renee nodded. After Edward and I made the decision to move, we talked to Renee about it. Of everyone in our family, we knew that Renee would be the only one who wouldn't overact, who'd listen to us and, most of all, support our decision. "What about it?"

"You know what," I muttered.

Sighing, Renee leaned back in her chair. "Honey, you can't let them choose your life for you."

"I know that, but . . ." I trailed off and shook my head. "I don't want them to be pissed with us for moving. The last time nearly destroyed me."

"Bella, you and Edward know what's best for you and your family," Renee said.

"That's easy for you to say," I groused. "You're moving with us."

Renee smiled. "True."

"Are you sure it won't be hard for you to leave the city?" I asked.

"No, but Dad wouldn't have wanted me to waste away." Renee fiddled with the set of wedding rings still sitting on her left hand. "If he was here, he'd already be packing our things so we could follow you, just like when you went to Harvard."

I smiled. "He would."

Renee leaned forward and covered my hand with hers. "Honey, are you sure you want me to move with you and Edward?"

"Yes," I gasped. "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know," she mumbled. "You just seem unsure. I don't want to force myself on you and Edward."

"You're not," I insisted. "Mom, E and I will need all the help we can get once the babies are here. Christ, between the move, the new jobs, and three new babies, I'm sure if we won't need everyone!"

"Okay, calm down," Renee ordered, looking over her shoulder to make sure Esme wasn't rushing in. Esme had a way of always being here when something was going down.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Don't be sorry." Renee smiled. "I just want to help. I've got a lead on a couple of houses already."

"E and I told you that you could move in with us."

Renee laughed. "Honey, I love you both, but I don't want to live with you. And you shouldn't want me to live with you, either. You and Edward are going to need your own space. I'll be close, but not too close."

"Okay, if you're sure," I replied.

"If she's sure about what?" Edward asked, strolling into my room. He looked from Renee to me, his smiling growing.

"Sure about not living with you two," Renee explained, standing up. "How long do you have?"

"Just a few minutes," Edward said, leaning in and kissing her cheek. "Thank you for bringing her that soda."

"You're welcome," Renee giggled. "I'm gonna give you two a few minutes alone."

"Thanks," Edward murmured. Renee left and my husband looked back at me, a smirk resting on his lips.

"You had her bring me the drink?" I asked.

"I did. You were talking about drinking a Sprite in your sleep last night," Edward boasted and sitting on the side of my bed. He draped his arm over my legs and leaning down to kiss my belly. "How are my children doing?"

"They're a little restless today," I told him, dragging my fingers through his hair. "Busy day in the ER?"

"Hmm," Edward moaned. "Every day is a busy day in the ER. It hasn't been too bad, though, considering that today is the fourth of July."

"Oh, yeah, it is, isn't it," I murmured. "Funny."

"Why is that funny?" Edward asked, shifting his gaze up to mine.

"Because it was last July Fourth that you and I first decided to try for a baby. Now, here we are a year later and we're expecting three. Just kind of funny." Frowning, I thought about how much had changed in a year. Emmett and Rose, Jasper and Alice, Edward and I had all gotten married; Charlie was dead; Edward and I had lost our first child, only to conceive triplets just a few months later.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Edward asked, bringing his hand up to my face.

"Just thinking about how much I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too." Edward leaned up and kissed me — just as his pager went off. Groaning, Edward pulled it off the waistband of his scrubs and looked at it. "B, I've gotta go. There's a kid coming in."

"Be careful," I mumbled, grabbing the front of his scrub top. "Please."

"I promise," he whispered, kissing me once more. "I'll send your mom in."

Nodding, I said, "Thank you."

Renee came back in a few minutes later and took her seat. While she pulled a magazine out of her purse, I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. I didn't fall asleep; I just needed the time to relax. Ever since Edward got hurt in a trauma, I got nervous when he had an emergency came in. As doctors I knew this wasn't rational, but Edward was my life and seeing him like that hurt.

"Bella." I opened my eyes and looked over at Renee, but the man standing in the doorway to my room drew my attention.

"Dr. Stevens," I said, rolling onto my back and sitting back up. "What can I do for you?"

Marcus Stevens smiled and walked over to my bed, sitting on the foot of it. "Just checking in on you. How are you feeling?"

"Do you really want to know?" I asked.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know," he laughed.

"Fine," I said, placing my hands on my belly. "I feel fat, and my back hurts. My ass hurts because I've been on it for six weeks. I'd love a real shower, and not one of these lame sponge baths that the nurses think are just the best thing ever. I'm tired of staring at that picture hanging on that wall," I explained, gesturing to the photo hanging on the wall opposite of my bed. "It's ugly."

Marcus stood up and walked over to the picture, pulling it off the wall and taking it out into the hall. He came back in and smirked. "Anything else?"

"No," I grumbled.

"That's a first," he snickered, sitting back down on my bed.

"What are you really doing here, Dr. Stevens?" I asked.

Marcus smiled. "I've heard through the grapevine that you and Dr. Cullen will be leaving us in a few months." I tensed, wondering who else had heard. "Nobody here at the hospital said anything; Phil told me."

"I see," I jibed.

"Oh, don't be like that," he whined.

"Be like what?" I inquired.

"I only told him that you and Edward would be a fine addition to his hospital because I knew that it would be a good move for you both," Marcus stated.

"You should have talked to me and E first," I responded.

"Maybe." Marcus shrugged his shoulders. "But you would have told me that you were happy here."

"We are happy here," I pointed out.

"I know you are, but you're going to be happier there." Marcus shook his head. "Bella, you've given more of yourself to this hospital than anyone else. I sat back and watched as you tried to hold yourself together after . . ." He trailed off and I knew he was referring to Jacob Black's attacks on my life. "Well, let's just say that I've watched you struggle enough with the hand you'd been dealt. Moving to Vermont, taking over the Peds Department is going to open a whole new world for you. And Edward deserves to a chance to make a name for himself and not be held back because of his father is here. Carlisle's a wonderful man, and an even better doctor, Bella, but Edward has to be given the chance to prove that he is more than Carlisle Cullen's son."

"You're a nosy old man," I grumbled.

Marcus laughed. "That I am, my dear."

Before I could reply, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice came into my room, stopping when they saw Dr. Stevens sitting on the bottom of my bed. Marcus looked over at me and winked before he stood up, saying, "I'll check on you later, Dr. Swan. Don't give the nurse's too hard of a time."

"I'll do my best," I said, dryly. Marcus walked past them, nodding his head in their direction.

Renee shared a look with me before she stood up and said, "I think I need a cup of coffee."

"Bring me one," I smarted off, knowing that Renee would laugh.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," she giggled before walking past Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice, closing the door behind her.

"Hey, guys," I said, smiling. "How's everything?"

"Oh, it's okay," Alice chirped, bouncing across the room and nearly leaping on my bed. "It's hotter than a bitch outside."

"How hot is a bitch, Ali?" Emmett teased, taking the chair that Renee had just left.

"Too damn hot," Alice replied. She sighed and looked over at me. "What was Marcus doing here?"

"Just checking on me." It wasn't a lie, not really. He was checking on me.

Edward and I had debated on when we should tell Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice about our decision to move to Vermont. While neither of us wanted to lie to them, we knew that putting that added stress on our shoulders wasn't going to do me any good. My blood pressure, though down some, was still higher Esme and Victoria wanted.

Grabbing the rails, I tried to push myself up more in my bed, but the moment I moved, two things happened: a sharp pain shot through my abdomen and a gush of fluid came rushing out of me. With a look of terror on my face, I tore the blankets off of me and looked over at Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper.

"My water just broke."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate the patience, as real life has been insane lately. For those of you who read Broken Roads, you already know what's been going on, but for those who don't, let me just say that things are a bit nuts. Between barely sleeping, my daughter's blood sugars, and my son hurting his foot again, I'm doing the best I can. **


	26. Chapter 25

**JULY 4th EPOV**

Bringing my hand up to the back of my neck, I rubbed against the sore and tense muscles and stared at the x-ray in front of me. Fourteen year old Jonathon Marks had come in with his mother after he hurt his foot playing a game of football in Central Park with his buddies. Somehow — and I don't know how — he managed to walk on it long enough for his mom to meet him at the entry of the park and they were now sitting in exam room three. He had a Jones Fracture, or a break of his fifth metatarsal — a very nasty looking break.

"Wow, look at that." I smiled and looked over at Carlisle, who was staring at the x-ray. "Bet that hurt like a son of a bitch."

"I imagine so," I murmured. "Think I'm gonna call Ortho and see if they can do a consult. The break doesn't look clean to me. What do you think?"

However, before Carlisle could reply, my pager went off. Sighing, I pulled it off the waist band of my scrubs and looked at it: 911 from Bella's room.

"Fuck, it's B," I snarled, ripping the films down and shoving them back into the envelope as I made my way through the hallway to the nurses' desk.

"Edward, calm down," Carlisle said, stopping next to me.

I scoffed but didn't say anything as I reached over the counter and grabbed the phone, calling Bella's room directly. She wouldn't have put the 911 in there unless something was wrong with her or the babies. When she'd been admitted, we'd worked out all kinds of codes for her to use. 411 was when she wanted the latest gossip from the ER, 211 was when she needed me to get her mother to leave her alone, 111 was when she wanted me to come visit, but 911 was for when something was wrong.

The phone had barely rung once when I heard the all-too-familiar click when someone answered it. "B?"

But instead of Bella's voice, it was Alice who spoke. "E, get up here."

"What's wrong?" I asked, clenching the phone between my fingers. I could feel Carlisle staring at me; feel the worry pouring off of him.

"Her water broke," she replied, softly. "Hurry."

"Oh, fuck, I'll be right there." Without giving Alice a chance to say anything more, I nearly slammed the phone down and turned to my father. Tears filled my eyes when I heard the words trickling out of my mouth. "B's water broke. The babies are coming."

"Oh, shit," he gasped, almost laughing. "Go. I'll get things settled here and be right there."

"Dad," I mumbled, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed.

Carlisle stepped up and wrapped his arms around me. "You're going to be a good father, Edward. Go to your wife."

"I love you, Dad," I whispered.

"Love you, too."

Handing him Jonathon's x-rays, I turned and ran over to the elevator, pressing on the up arrow. However, my impatience got the best of me and decided to take the steps instead. Two minutes later and out of breath, I pushed open the door to the maternity floor and made my way down the hallway to Bella's room. I stopped in the doorway, placing my hand on the jamb and took a deep breath.

Bella was lying on her left side, one arm up under her head and the other wrapped protectively around her stomach. Renee was standing between Rose and Alice, while Jasper was on the bed in front of Bella, a single hand resting on Bella's arm. Emmett sat on the other side of the bed, his eyes locked on the fluctuations of our babies' heart rates. He had reached back with one hand, letting it lay on Bella's calf.

"E?" Bella cried, reaching out for me. In three large leaps, I was at her side, taking the part of the bed Jasper had just been on and holding her hand. "It's too early."

"You made it to twenty-nine, almost thirty weeks, baby. That's pretty damn good with triplets."

"They need more time," she whimpered, unable to keep her tears from falling. I brushed them off before cupping her face in my other hand. "We can't lose them."

"We won't," I murmured, trying to assure us both. Truth be told, the babies were going to have an uphill battle from the moment they took their first breaths, but I had faith that our babies would make it. "They're fighters, like you."

"And stubborn like you," Bella whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I leaned in and kissed her. "We're having babies today."

"I know." And with that, Bella began to sob.

Wrapping my arms around her, and trying to hold her as tightly as I could, I looked over at Emmett. "Have you called Mom and Dr. Biers?"

"We got Mom. She was going to call Dr. Biers," he stated, shifting uncomfortably.

I nodded and looked back down at Bella. "They'll be here soon."

"Okay," she whispered. Less than two seconds later, her face crumbled and she howled out in pain. "Oh fuck!"

"Breathe for me, love," I murmured, trying to rub her back. It wouldn't help, we all knew it, but I'd do whatever I could. A moment later, her face smoothed out and she closed her eyes. "Better?"

"No," she laughed, keeping her eyes closed, "but it's okay."

"How are we doing in here?" I looked over my shoulder as Esme came strolling into Bella's room. She was already in a pair of dark, magenta scrubs and had a surgical cap on.

"Hanging in there," I replied.

Esme smiled and walked around to the other side of Bella's bed, sitting down and placing her hand on Bella's arm. "So, you know what your water breaking means, right?"

Bella nodded, a soft whimper slipping between her lips. "Today will be our babies' birthdays."

"Yes," Esme murmured. "Dr. Biers is getting the OR set up. We've got Dr. Mallory and her team in there, along with Carlisle and his team from the NICU. Dr. Stevens has asked to be the team for baby C, if that's okay with you and Edward."

"Um," Bella looked up at me. I was quick to nod my head in agreement. "Sure."

"All right." Esme shifted her eyes over to the monitor. "Their heart rates are holding steady. That's good."

"But it's still early," Renee said, walking up behind me and placing her hand on my shoulder. "How can the babies survive when they're coming ten weeks early?"

Esme smiled softly. "There will be challenges. Once the babies are born, we'll know more of what we're looking at, but the road won't be an easy one."

"They're fighters," Bella whispered, sliding her hand over her belly. "Our babies are fighters."

"Yeah, they are," I whispered. "Just like their mommy."

"And daddy," Bella wept.

Over the next hour, Bella had a couple more contractions. Carlisle stopped by after about half an hour and assured us that he had everything under control. I didn't want to think about what it cost him to have both our shifts covered. Today, I'd become a father to three babies. My mind was focused on Bella and the babies.

Thirty minutes after Carlisle appeared in the doorway to Bella's room, the anesthesiologist came in, shooing everyone out of the room. He tried to tell me to leave, but I glared at him and told him he could go to hell. Bella needed me and I wasn't about to abandon her now. Helping her sit on the side of the bed, I stood in front of Bella and held her while Dr. Assbutt, as Bella referred to him several times, kept telling her to curve her back more. Like that was an easy task to do while pregnant with triplets. If it wasn't for the fact that Bella was whimpering, I would have told him to fuck off.

Once he was done, I helped her get back onto her side, holding her hand while Esme and everyone came back inside. My mother came up behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

Bella lifted her gaze to me and smiled. "No, but let's have these babies anyway."

"Alright." Esme turned and looked over at our family. "We'll see you in a bit."

In a flurry of good wishes and tears, two orderlies managed to roll Bella's bed out of her room and down the hallway to the operating room. Bella and I had known that the risks involved with trying to deliver three babies vaginally were too high to take, but the idea of sitting there, knowing that Esme and Victoria was slicing my wife open was hard to handle.

When we stopped in the doorway, I leaned down and kissed Bella once again. "I'll be right there."

"Promise?" she whispered.

I smiled. "You have my word, love."

Letting her go was harder than I expected it to be. With my hands clenched into fists, I turned and walked over to the sink, scrubbing my hands and arms. Even though I wasn't going to be operating, I knew that we had to take as many precautions as we could. Esme stepped up to the sink next to me. As she shoved her hands under the water, I saw them shaking. I shifted my eyes up to her face. For the first time in my life, I saw fear and uncertainty filling my mother's features.

Without thinking, I reached out and covered her hands with mine. Esme tilted her head in my direction. "I trust you, Mom."

"Edward," she whimpered.

"I trust you with my wife, with my children, Mom," I murmured.

"I'm proud of you, Edward," she said, turning to face me. "For so long you were lost, and I thought I'd never get my son back. You're a good man, a wonderful husband, and you'll be an amazing father."

"I love you, Mom," I replied, thickly.

"I love you, too." Esme blew out a heavy breath and smiled. "Now, let's get in there before that wife of yours comes looking for you."

A few minutes later and donning a fresh, clean pair of surgical scrubs, I followed my mother into the operating room. They'd already moved Bella onto the table, and had prepped her for surgery. Moving over, I sat down on the stool next to Bella's head, grabbing hold of her outstretched hand. Dr. Assbutt looked at me and snorted, but wisely kept his opinions to himself. Bella didn't need his attitude right now, and honestly, neither did I.

"Okay, we're ready to get started," Victoria said, peeking over the blue curtain between the top of Bella and lower part of her. "Ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Bella whispered, tightening her hold on my hand.

She smiled. "Just relax, Bella. We're gonna take good care of your babies."

"I hope so," my wife murmured.

Being a doctor, I've seen my fair share of births, even caesarians, but seeing it from the point of view of the husband and father wasn't something I'd ever get used to. Bella took several deeps breaths as Victoria made her initial incision.

"You might feel some pressure, but it shouldn't be too bad," Esme said.

"Okay," Bella replied, shifting her eyes over to mine.

"Alright, here comes Baby A," Victoria stated. From behind her, I saw Lauren Mallory step up with an arm full of blankets. Her team looked alert and ready, which I was thankful for. Bella and I were insistent that Lauren be in here with us.

"Ahh," Bella cried out as Victoria delivered the first baby.

"It's a boy!" she exclaimed. Bella and I held our breaths while waiting for the sound of our son's first cry. After a long, tense moment, the room was filled by the strong, shrieking of a newborn baby.

"Is he okay?" Bella wept.

"So far, so good," Lauren called from over her shoulder as she carried the crying bundle over to her area. "Just relax, Dr. Swan, I'm taking good care of your little fellow."

Bella took another deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Though, I don't think she'd relax until all three babies were born and we knew if they were okay or not. I know I certainly wasn't going to be able to. Lifting her hand, I pressed my lips against her fingers, causing Bella to smile.

After a couple of minutes, Victoria announced the arrival of Baby B. "Another boy!"

Just like with his brother, Baby B released a loud, garbled cry. I'd be lying if I said that tears didn't flood my eyes with each sound. Carlisle came over with his arms full of blankets and took our second-born son into his arms, whispering to that he'd had him. My gratitude to the man grew in that moment. Catching my eye, my father smiled before turning heading back to his area and started accessing the baby boy.

"Two down, one to go." Victoria laughed. "How are we hanging in there, Mommy?"

"Trying," Bella replied, the simple word came out shaky and filled with nerves.

"Stay strong a little longer, sweetheart," Esme murmured. "We're down to the last baby."

"Unless there is another one hiding in there," Victoria teased.

"There better not be," Bella and I grumbled at the same time, causing everyone in the room to laugh — including Dr. Assbutt.

"Okay, time for Baby C to make their appearance," Victoria said, suddenly becoming very serious.

Bella closed her eyes and tightened her grip on my hand, almost to the point of it being painful, but I didn't complain. With what she was going through, she could certainly squeeze the fuck out of my hand. Scrunching her face, Bella gasped for air and whimpered.

"I know it's uncomfortable, sweetheart, but Baby C is trying to hide from us," Esme said.

"It's okay," she gritted.

A few moments later, Esme smiled over at us and held up Baby C, who started wailing at the top of their lungs. "Another beautiful baby boy!"

With tears pouring down both our faces, Bella and I looked at each other and smiled. "Our boys," we murmured.

**Thank you for all the reviews. First, no I don't feel guilty for leaving it there. It's how I roll. Now, this chapter was delicate to write. Seeing as I don't have triplets, I had to do a lot of research over how it would be done. Also, my life has been incredibly busy. I've been editing a novel, dealing with my own edits from my next release that comes out in April, and dealing with the blizzard that hit. Yes, I said we had a blizzard in Texas. Anywho, thank you for your continued patience, I do appreciate them.**


	27. Chapter 26

**I feel compelled to give out a tissue warning for this chapter. Most of you know that I don't do it unless needed, so here is your chance to grab something.**

**JULY 5th BPOV**

Wincing, I pushed myself up on my bed, trying to ignore the pain radiating through my still swollen abdomen. It'd been almost twenty-four hours since our babies — our boys — were born, and I was struggling to keep myself together — emotionally, that is. Physically, I was doing as expected, but emotionally, I was a mess. Other than a quick glance at them, I hadn't seen them. Edward swore that they were okay, all things considered, but I needed to see for myself.

"Hey," Edward said, and I looked over at him as he walked back into my room. He'd been down to the nursery, checking on the babies for me. I hated that I couldn't go with him, but Esme hadn't given me permission to get out of bed yet and I knew better than to challenge her yet.

"How are the boys?" I asked.

He smiled. "They're doing okay. Baby A keeps swatting at thin air, and Baby C appears to have been your kicker. They're having a hard time keeping him swaddled. Baby B, well, he's trying to keep up with his brothers."

I nodded, feeling my eyes fill with tears. "When's Esme getting here?"

"Should be any minute," Edward murmured, sitting on the side of my bed and taking my hand in his, being careful of my IV. "She texted me about half an hour ago and said she was on her way."

Releasing a shallow breath, I tightened my grip on his hand. Edward looked like tired and worn out. Between working nonstop over the last few weeks, and spending all of his time here at the hospital with me, I knew he hadn't been resting. Even with the babies here, he struggled to sleep in the cot they'd brought him and I'm sure I didn't help. The nurses had been in and out of my room the night before, checking my vitals and trying to get me to take something for the pain. Of course I refused. I'd been using a breast pump, hoping to stimulate my milk supply and offer my boys as much nutrients from me as I could, and didn't want to risk hurting them by taking medication for the pain. So for now, I was toughing through it all. My boys were worth it.

"I wish she'd hurry," I grumbled. "I need to go see them."

"Want me to call her?" he asked, pulling his cell phone from his back pocket. However, before I could reply, there was a small knock on my door and it opened.

_So much for waiting for me to tell them to come in_, I thought.

Esme smiled and leaned against the open door.

_She's forgiven_, I added mentally.

"It's about time you got here!" I groused, causing her to laugh. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, it's plenty funny. They say that doctors make the worst patients, but I never really believed it until now."

"Whatever," I muttered. "Can I get out of bed yet?"

"Let me look at your incision first," she replied, crossing the room and laying my chart on the bottom of my bed. Edward reached for it, but she swatted his hand away. "I don't think so, kiddo."

"Mom!" Edward whined, causing me to giggle. He sounded so pathetic. Scowling at me, he turned his attention to Esme. "B is my wife."

"And she's my patient, and I won't have you violating her privacy like that." Esme smirked, and waited for him to challenger her, but instead he huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sighing, Esme grabbed the chart and shoved it at him, saying, "You're such a fucking baby."

"You love me," Edward muttered, but began flipping through it.

"If you say so," Esme teased and turned her attention back to me. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"Tired. The nurses were in here every hour last night so it was hard to get any real sleep. And I'm very sore," I explained. "But I think that's partially due to the fact that I've been lying in this bed for weeks, too. Sure would be nice to get up and move around."

"I bet it would." She pulled the blanket off of me and lifted my hospital gown, checking on the six inch incision she'd cut into my abdomen. "It looks good. I'll make you a deal. I'm going to order you a soft-foods lunch. If you can keep that down for an hour afterwards, I'll let you get up and go down to see your babies. But if you can't, then you have to wait. You don't want to rush yourself, Bella. Your babies are going to need you to be strong."

"I know, and that sounds like a fair deal," I said, quickly. Tears welled up in my eyes. "I — I need to see them, Esme. To make sure they're really okay."

"Oh, sweetheart," she murmured, sitting on the side of my bed and taking hold of my hand. "They're okay for now. All three babies . . . You know, this would be easier if you'd just tell me their names."

I smiled through my tears. "We will once everyone is together."

Esme smirked. "Good to know," she laughed. "Anyway, all three babies are in better condition than I thought they would be considering how early they are. Their lungs are strong, but we've put breathing tubes in just to help take the strain of their lungs.

"We have them in incubators to keep their body temperatures up, and with the exception of Baby C, it's working. He's a bit of wiggler and they're having a hard time keeping him swaddled. All three babies are getting nutrients from a feeding tube." Esme paused. "Baby B's kidneys aren't functioning as well as his brothers, though."

I sucked in a deep breath.

"But we're watching him closely," she assured me.

"I know you are," I whimpered, hating myself for getting so emotional. But these were my babies, my sons, and I needed to be with them. How would they know just how much I loved them if I wasn't there? "Any other concerns?"

"Right now, it's just a wait and see, sweetheart. Considering they are eleven weeks premature, they're organs are functioning pretty damn well. It's just going to take time for them to mature."

Edward reached out and took hold of my hand, bringing it to his lips and pulling my attention to him. Like me, he had tears in his eyes and I could feel the anguish radiating off of him.

"Well, I'm going to head out," Esme said, clearing her throat. "I'll be back after lunch to check on you."

"Okay," I murmured, keeping my eyes locked on my husbands.

Esme left, and Edward took her place on my bed, carefully draping his arm over my legs and keeping my hand in his.

"I knew," I whispered, shaking my head. "I knew that with triplets that we were going to be facing this situation, but I wasn't prepared for what it actually feels like to be so helpless."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he murmured. "I so badly want to lift them in my arms and cradle them to my chest, but I can't. Not yet, anyway."

I closed my eyes, feeling my tears sprinkle down my cheeks. A moment later, I felt the bed dip as Edward moved from the bottom of my bed so that he was lying next to me. With his arm around me, we cried for our boys.

—MBTFS—

Just after one that afternoon, the door to my room opened and Esme calm waltzing back inside. Only this time, Carlisle, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, and Renee were with her. Rolling my eyes, I pushed myself up in my bed, stifling the groan that rushed to the top of my tongue.

"Gee, what a surprise, Esme, you brought everyone here," I muttered, dryly, causing Edward to laugh. When they brought us lunch, he'd moved to the end of my bed.

"She's just excited, B," he snickered, winking at me. "Not every day she gets to make sure that your bowels can handle the Jell-O and mashed potatoes that you ate. Well, if you can count that shit potatoes."

I smiled, because he was right. They were bland and disgusting, but I choked them down. "I am feeling a bit gassy."

"Ha-ha," Esme replied, shaking her head. "You were the one who told me they had to be here."

"I don't recall saying that." I looked at Edward. "Do you, E?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Not once did you say they needed to be here for you to fart."

"Ew," Alice and Rose grimaced, while Renee burst out laughing and walked over to me.

Leaning down, she kissed the top of my head. "How are you feeling, honey?"

"Sore and tired," I admitted, reaching out for her hand. "Have you been down there to see them?"

"Just through the glass. They're beautiful. I know boys aren't supposed to be beautiful, Bella, but they are. A perfect little mix of you and Edward." Renee smiled. "He'd be so proud of you."

Nodding, I felt my eyes fill up with tears again. "Daddy would already be planning their first fishing trip. Don't you think?"

"Hell, he'd have had that planned the moment he found out you were pregnant," Renee laughed through her own tears. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Momma," I whispered, gripping her hand tighter.

"Enough mushiness!" Emmett whined, drawing our attention to him. "I want my nephews' names and I want them now."

"You do, huh?" Edward lifted an eyebrow in my direction.

"Yes!" Emmett exclaimed.

"I don't know, Em," I said, sighing. "I think that information will only come out if Esme lets me out of this bed."

"Are you trying to blackmail me, Isabella?" She gasped.

"Not trying, I am blackmailing you." I stared at her. "I need to go see my boys. They need me to be there for them. If you want to know their names, then you have to give me your word that you will let Edward take me to them."

Esme closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she smiled. "You drive a hard bargain, Bella. You have a deal. Though, I would have let you go anyway."

"I know, but it was funnier this way," I laughed, regretting it when my body began to hurt. Sharing a look with Edward, we turned to our family. "Baby A's name is . . ." I shifted my eyes to Renee. "Charles Emmett."

She gasped. "Baby Charlie?"

I nodded, blowing out a thick breath as once again my emotions got the better of me. "After Daddy."

Covering her mouth with her hand, she simply nodded.

"B?" Emmett whispered, and I looked at him. "After me?"

"Of course goofball," I cried. "You're one of my boys, too, right?"

Emmett bobbed his head up and down. "Always."

"What are the other babies names?" Alice asked, her words coming out calm and even, which for her was unexpected.

"Baby B's name is Thomas Carlisle," Edward said, looking at his father, who snapped his attention up to both of us. "Dad, there was a time when I hated you for taking me away from B, but if you hadn't insisted that I come to New York, I never would have found her again. Thank you for bringing me home."

"I — I . . ." For the first time in my life, I saw Carlisle struggling. "You're welcome. I love you both so much, and I'm proud to be your dad." He shifted his eyes over to me. "Both of your dads."

"That sounds creeping. You know, considering that I am married to E," I cried, causing everyone to laugh. "I love you, too, Carlisle."

Edward simply stood up and walked across the room, giving his father a hug. It conveyed everything he needed to say.

"What about Baby C?" Jasper asked, and I could hear the hope in his words.

"Aaron Jasper," I murmured, "after two of the strongest people I've ever met."

"B," he whispered. "You're a brat, but I love you."

"Well, you're a pain in my ass, but I love you, too."

"Charlie, Thomas, and Aaron," Rose murmured. "Those are good names for your boys."

"We thought so," Edward snickered, sitting back on my bed.

Wiping my tears off my face, I turned to Esme. "Now can I go see them?"

She smiled. "Yes."

Everyone but Esme told us they'd see us later and left. She headed out into the hallway and brought me a wheelchair, stating that she wanted me to take it slow. I could handle slow. I just needed to see my sons right now. Edward wrapped his arms around me and helped me slide out of bed, soothing away the whimpers that trickled out of my lips. The pain was excruciating, but I wouldn't let it stop me from getting down to the NICU.

After standing for few seconds, I let Edward help me take the few steps to the wheelchair. I sat down and he draped a blanket over my legs. Esme grabbed my IV pole and walked beside us as we headed down to the neo-natal intensive care unit. The nurses stopped and smiled as we passed them, knowing that this was a huge moment for me.

Once we got to the NICU, we scrubbed up and put on our yellow protective gear so that we wouldn't spread any unneeded germs to the boys. They had a hard, long fight already without us adding our clumsiness to the mix.

Edward pushed my chair over to where my boys were. They were little, tiny compared to full-term babies. At eleven weeks early, Charlie was our biggest. He weighed two pounds and was fifteen inches long. From what I could tell, he had soft, dark peach fuzz. Aaron was the second biggest. He weighed one pound and 6 ounces, stretching out to thirteen inches. And much like his older brother, he had dark peach fuzz, too. Last, but not least was Thomas. He was our tiny baby at one pound and three ounces, and only twelve inches long. Unlike his brothers, he didn't have any hair yet. All three babies had bandages over their eyes to protect them, so I didn't know if they'd have my dark brown eyes, or Edward's bright green ones. Secretly, I hoped for his. He was beautiful, and so were they.

Fighting to stop the tears that were building up inside my eyes, I reached out and placed a hand on the incubators that were keeping my babies safe, somehow getting my hands on all three of them, and whispered, "Mommy's here, baby boys, and I love you. Stay strong and fight for me."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Did you cry? I know I sobbed like a baby during this one. **


	28. Chapter 27

**JULY 8th EPOV**

"Can you hand me my hairbrush?"

Smiling, I picked up the black, plastic brush and handed it to Bella. She'd just gotten back in bed after taking a much needed shower. Not that she stank, because she didn't, but Bella had been stuck in that bed for too long without being able to take a real shower, as she put it. Finally, Esme cleared her to be able to shower. I'd stood inside the bathroom with her and listened to soft sighs that trickled out of my wife's lips and straight to my cock. Yeah, I was a perv. My wife had just given birth to triplets and I was craving the feel of her wrapped around me.

"You know, I never really thought about how good brushing my hair felt until I couldn't do it easily," Bella said, smiling.

I laughed, and pulled the brush out of her hand, angling my body so that I was sitting behind her. Sliding the brush through her long, silky brown hair, I said, "I bet."

"God, that feels good," she moaned, and once again my cock was straining against the zipper on my jeans.

"Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" I murmured, the words coming out thicker than I intended.

Bella looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. "A few times. Though, I have to admit that I think you're being a little biased."

"No, I'm not," I challenged.

She scoffed. "You love me, E, so you're not seeing me with clear eyes. I'm a hot mess. My belly is flabby, and my hormones are still crazy."

"B, you just had three babies, three days ago. You're amazing," I told her, bringing my hand up to her face.

At the mention of our sons, a sigh trickled from between her lips.

"B?"

"I can't go home," she whimpered. "I can't walk out of this room, out of the hospital without them, E."

"I know, baby," I soothed. "I don't want to, either, but the boys are going to be here for a while."

Bella nodded, laying her head on my chest. "But I want to stay here with them."

"We will be here every second we can," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her and holding her as tight as I could without hurting her. She had just given birth, after all.

"I know."

The door to Bella's room opened and Esme and Victoria came in. Bella automatically tensed; always afraid that one or both of them were going to be the one bearing bad news. Though I tried to hide it, I did, too.

"Relax," Esme said, smiling. "The boys are okay."

Bella released a heavy breath. "Thank God."

"We have your discharge papers," Victoria mentioned, fidgeting with the papers in her hand. "You're free to leave when you're ready."

"And if I'm not ready?" Bella asked. "Can I stay?"

"Oh, sweetheart," Esme murmured, walking across the room and gently pulling my wife into her arms.

Their bond had always been strong, but after Esme made a catty comment about Bella being responsible for our miscarriage, their relationship had been strained. I understood how hard it had been for Bella to trust Esme not to hurt her again, and finally after months of being careful what she said, or how she did something, they'd been able to put aside their differences and finally get back the closeness they'd always had.

"They're my babies, Esme," Bella cried, clutching onto my mother. "My sweet boys. How can I leave them here?"

"Shh, sweetheart, calm down," Esme whispered.

Behind her, Victoria shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the scene playing out in front of her.

"Maybe I should . . ." Placing Bella's discharge papers in the cabinet next to the sink, she turned and walked out of Bella's room.

"They're gonna need me here," Bella wept. "Please don't make me leave them!"

"Isabella," Esme said, sharply and causing Bella to gasp and look up at her. My mother never called her Isabella unless she was pissed or needed to get her point across. I was praying that my mother wasn't pissed. "I can't even begin to imagine how hard this is for you right now. So I am not going to pretend that I do. But you're going to have to leave this place today. Now, I'm not saying that you can't stay down by the NICU until visiting hours are over, but then you have to go home. You have to rest and allow your body to heal from your pregnancy and the C-section so that when your boys come home — and they will be coming home — you and Edward will be able to take care of them."

"Promise me, Esme," Bella whispered, not caring about the tears slipping down her face. "Promise me that my boys will come home."

Esme smiled and brushed Bella's hair behind her ear. "Sweetheart, I promise that all three of your boys will be coming home to you. They're strong and they're fighting, just like you and Edward."

Bella nodded and released a shaky breath. "Okay. I guess I'll have to live with that."

The door to Bella's room opened once again, and we looked over, unsurprised to see Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice standing in the doorway. They looked from me to Esme, down to Bella, whose face was still wet from her tears, and back to me. I shook my head, silently telling them not to ask. They'd want to make it better, to fix it somehow, and they couldn't. Until our sons were home with us, nothing would be okay.

"Hey," Emmett said, keeping his voice low and soft. "How are you feeling, B?"

"Okay," Bella sniffled, and attempted to wipe her face clean. "I don't smell anymore at least."

"Well, that's good," Jasper laughed, though I could tell it was strained and off. My brothers were horrible at trying to keep the mood from being intense.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Not that I mind, of course, but Bella was about to be discharged, and we were going to go see the boys for a while."

"Yeah, Mom told us," Emmett replied. "We figured since we have the afternoon off that we'd grab all your shit and take it to your apartment for you."

"Our shit?" Bella scoffed, causing her shoulders to jerk back. She winced and placed her hand over her abdomen. "Fuck, I don't need to do that again."

"Sit down," I murmured, gesturing back to the bed.

Bella nodded and settled back onto the edge of the bed. "Thanks. Em, did you just call all the flowers and balloons that people sent us shit?"

"Um," Emmett stammered, "yes?"

"At least you agree with me!" Bella exclaimed, gesturing toward me. "He thinks it's sweet, while I think it's annoying."

"It is sweet," I laughed, thinking about the many conversations we'd had over the last few days over this very issue.

Every department in the hospital had sent us flowers or balloons, congratulating us on the birth of our boys. But it didn't end there. No, several doctors, nurses, and people from the administration had also sent flowers to Bella. With each new delivery, she'd groan and whine about them being a waste of space and money, but I told her to suck it up. It meant people cared.

"Whatever," Bella muttered, looking back at the others. "Why aren't you working?"

"We're working tonight," Alice said, though her tone told me that there was more than she was telling.

"All four of you?" I asked. The four of them nodded — like at the same time, almost as if they'd rehearsed it.

"Okay," Bella said, slowly, and looking at me, confirming that she too knew something was going on. "Well, we're not going back to the apartment anytime soon, so I guess you wasted your time."

"Don't be stupid," Jasper scoffed, but before I could smack him for calling my wife stupid, he said, "We're going take this shit back to your place for you. That way, you don't have to worry about it while you're with the boys."

"Oh," Bella whispered and I saw her eyes flood with tears. Before I could stop her, she stood up and hobbled over to Jasper, sliding her arms around his waist. "Thanks, J."

"You're welcome?" he asked, like he wasn't sure what to do.

"Hug her back, asshole," I groused, when his arms hung limply at his side.

Jasper brought his arms up, but barely squeezed her. I could tell that he didn't want to hurt her.

Bella laughed and pulled away from him. "Ignore your brother. He's cranky."

I was.

"I can tell," Jasper snickered.

I rolled my eyes and flipped him off.

"Edward!" Esme scolded, causing everyone to burst out laughing, everyone by Bella. "Don't make me whoop your ass."

"You're yelling at me for flipping him off, yet you just threatened to spank my ass?" I lifted an eyebrow in my mother's direction. "Really, Ma?"

"Yes, really," she giggled. "Show some class with your profanity!"

"Oh, okay," I chuckled. "I'll try to do better."

—MBTFS—

Half an hour later, Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice had managed to load all our 'shit' as they kept calling it, onto one of the carts the hospital provided and promised that they'd take it back to the apartment for us. Esme had officially discharged Bella and we were sitting outside of the NICU, waiting for Lauren to come out and let us know how the boys were doing. Neither of us was anxious to return home.

What home, though? I asked myself. With our upcoming move to Vermont looming, I knew we needed to tell our families, but with the boys in the NICU, the timing didn't feel right. Maybe that was a sign that we shouldn't be taking these jobs in the first place. Were we being selfish and putting our careers before our boys?

"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked, placing her hand on top of mine.

"Vermont," I murmured.

Bella tensed and nodded.

"Maybe we shouldn't take the jobs."

"Too late for that," Bella said. "We've already told Phil we'd be there in October."

"I know, but . . ."

"But?" she pressed.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "The opportunity is too good to pass up, I get that, but I promised Charlie that I wouldn't make the same mistake our parents did."

"What?" Bella gasped.

Shaking my head, I smiled. "Remember when you took Ro and Ali to the movies so that Em could go talk to Charlie about proposing to Ro?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I've never told you this, but J and I went to talk to your dad that day, too," I admitted, sheepishly.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Bella smiled.

"I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders. "It was just something my brothers and I did together, so I didn't think about it."

"So, what did Charlie say?"

"The usual bullshit. You know, do you love my daughters, can you provide for my daughters, blah, blah, blah," I laughed.

"Yeah, because Ro, Ali, and I can't provide for ourselves," Bella scoffed.

"Then he asked us what we'd do if the six of us were separated," I said, and Bella immediately sobered up. "I told him that we wouldn't make the same mistakes that they did, that when we found ourselves in this position, that we'd make this decision together. And here we are, making it without even talking to them. Are we following in our parents' footsteps?"

"No," Bella said, grabbing my hand. "E, it's not like we're never going to see them again. Ali and J love Vermont, so I'm sure they will be there all the time. Ro and Em will come with them, just because Em won't want to be left behind and Ro can't tell him no. And we'll come back to the city to see Carlisle and Esme. But we can't let them dictate how we live our lives. The last time we did that, it nearly cost us each other. I'm not sure if moving is the right decision, either, but I think we owe it to ourselves to at least try, right?"

"Yeah," I murmured, smiling. "I just don't want them to be pissed. Last time they got pissed at us, you started shutting down on me again. I can't lose you, B — not ever again."

Bella inhaled a deep breath. "I didn't handle that shit with Em, Ro, Ali, and J well, E. There were all these feelings surging through me, grief and heartache over Charlie and the baby. And it felt like they were pushing me away, and you know me, I don't handle that shit easily. But I like to think that we've all grown up some over the last few months. I mean, fuck, E, we're the parents now."

I laughed. "Doesn't quite seem real, does it?"

"No," she murmured, looking back over her shoulder and through the window that separated us from the NICU. "I want to hold them so bad."

"Me too, love, me too," I whispered, slipping my arm around her waist and pressing my lips against the side of her head.

We had to wait another ten minutes before Lauren came out to us. She assured us that the boys were still stable, though they were being monitored closely. Thomas' kidney's still weren't functioning as well as Charlie's or Aaron's, but considering how early they were, it wasn't unexpected. Even though Bella was pumping her breast milk, they weren't eating a lot. Again, that wasn't unexpected.

Once we'd scrubbed up and draped our bodies in sterile gowns, we headed into the NICU. The boys' incubators were still located in the back corner, one end touching the end of the others so that they formed a semi-circle. My heart clenched in my chest as I looked from Charlie, to Thomas, and then to Aaron. They were so tiny. Bella brought her hand to her mouth, trying to stop the sob that trickled out anyway.

"Hey, boys," she whispered, placing one hand on the side of Charlie's incubator and slipping her other hand into the side of Aaron's. Aaron attempted to grip her finger. "Do you see this?"

"Yeah," I murmured, moving to Thomas' incubator, and sliding my hand in through the side. His tiny fingers wrapped around mine, causing my eyes to fill up with tears. "Stay strong, boys. Mommy and I are right here."

—MBTFS—

We stayed with the boys until the nurses kicked us out late that evening. Though neither of us wanted to leave, we wrapped our arms around each other and rode the elevator to the lobby and grabbed a cab. Bella had spent much of the day in a wheelchair, trying to keep from hurting while we were with our sons, but the fatigue had crept up on her. The three-blocks back to our apartment were made in silence, the stress of leaving our boys at the hospital laying heavily on both of our hearts.

When the driver pulled up in front, I helped Bella out before paying him. Then, I wrapped my arm around her waist and we headed upstairs, going slowly since Bella was in a lot of pain. Once we were there, I unlocked our apartment door and we walked in. The silence that filled our apartment was deafening. Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice had placed the flowers and balloons throughout our apartment. We stopped outside of what would be the boys' room, for a short period of time at least.

"Guess we need to start looking for a place to live in Vermont, don't we?" Bella murmured, looking up at me with tears swimming on her eyes.

"Someplace big, with a yard for the boys to play in," I replied.

She smiled. "And a swing set."

"Of course," I laughed, leading her into our bedroom. Bella climbed onto our bed and leaned back against the pillows. It was funny to me that after not seeing her in our bed for weeks, that the moment she was, a feeling of home washed over me. Kicking off my shoes, I climbed on next to her and wrapped my arm around her. "Are you hungry?"

"No," she whispered. "E?"

"Yeah?"

"The boys are going to be okay, aren't they? We'll bring them home soon and they'll be okay?"

My lips began to tremble as my response let my mouth. "Yes, B. Our boys are going to be okay."

"How can you know?" she whimpered.

Smiling, I leaned over and kissed her. "Because they're stubborn, like you."

"And you," she cried, nestling herself against me. "I love you, E."

"I love you, too, B."

Holding my wife while we both cried, I prayed that our boys would be okay, that we weren't making a mistake by moving, and that for once, Bella and I would get the happy ending we deserved.

**Thank you for all the reviews! Only four chapters to go! **


	29. Chapter 28

**AUGUST 2nd BPOV**

"Hey, Bella," Jackie, one of the nurses, said, waving as she walked past me in the hallway.

"Hi," I greeted her. "How are they today?"

It might have been my imagination, but it looked like her eyes drifted from mine for a moment before she said, "Great."

Nodding, I took a deep breath and kept walking down the hallway. For four weeks, I'd been making this trip daily, making sure I was there when visiting hours started. Normally, Edward would be with me, but he had arranged a phone call with Phil Dwyer, who wanted to touch base with Edward. Neither of us were convinced that moving to Vermont was the right decision, but we'd made our choice, and would live with whatever consciences we had to face.

Edward and I had sat Carlisle and Esme down one night a couple weeks back and told them our plans. While they were both sad that we'd be leaving, they wished us the best and knew that this was a decision that we had to make for our boys. Knowing that Renee would be in Vermont with us helped, I think, and if I knew Carlisle and Esme, they'd be visiting us as much as they could. Edward and I both felt that we owed it to Carlisle to give him time to find our replacements, without putting him in a time crunch. Having been the doctor working double shifts to help cover, I didn't want to be the cause of that for my co-workers.

So while we'd told his parents, we still hadn't told Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice, yet. Simply because both Edward and I were terrified that when we told them, they'd be upset with us and we already had enough stress in our lives with our boys to worry about them.

Charlie, Thomas, and Aaron were four weeks old, and getting stronger, but they were still in the NICU. Charlie had gained nearly two pounds, while Aaron was closer to two pounds and two ounces. Thomas on the other hand, was struggling to gain more than a pound. His kidney function was better, but he'd been having trouble with jaundice. His beautiful skin was yellow, and they'd been keeping him under the bilirubin lights. I hated seeing my boys with tubes in them, but I knew the doctors and nurses were doing everything they could to keep my boys healthy.

Stopping outside of the NICU, I turned on the water. A smile flittered to my face as I thought back to the first time I got to hold one of my boys. It was a week after I'd been released from the hospital and as usual, Edward and I were here at the hospital the moment visiting hours started.

"_Hey, Bella, Edward," Lauren said, meeting us outside of the NICU. "Have a second?"_

"_Is everything okay?" I asked, struggling to keep my composure. My nights had been filled with horrifying thoughts of my boys needing me, and me not being here. On more than one occasion, I'd called to check on them. Each time the nurses assured me that they were okay. While I'm sure the nurses were getting tired of me, they never showed it._

"_Everything's fine," Lauren insisted, smiling. "I forget that you're a worrier, Bella."_

"_I can't help it," I murmured. "Comes with being a doctor, and a mom."_

"_Well, you're boys are doing well. They get stronger every day," she said._

"_Good," I breathed._

"_So, what'd you need?" Edward asked, sliding his arm around my waist._

"_Well, I was thinking that maybe you'd like to hold them."_

_My heart felt like it leapt in my chest, and my eyes filled with tears. With trembling lips, I asked, "What?"_

"_I think now would be a good time for you to hold your boys," she said. "They're strong already, but having a little Mommy and Daddy time will do you all some good. So what do you say? Want to hold them?"_

"_Fuck yes!" I cried._

_Edward laughed and pressed his lips against the top of my head. "Of course we do. We've been looking forward to this for a long time."_

When we walked into the NICU with our sterile gowns on and settled in a couple of rocking chairs next to our boys, I remember that I was shaking. The excitement and nerves that filled me had my hands trembling. Lauren smiled as she lifted Charlie out of his incubator first, placing him in my arms. He was so tiny. His head fit into the palm of my hand and he could easily be nestled in the crook of my arm. They still had his eyes covered, trying to keep the bright lights from hurting him. With tears slipping down my face, I brought him up to my lips and placed a soft kiss on the top of my sweet baby Charlie's head.

I looked over and saw Edward holding Aaron, tears pouring down his face, as well. Aaron looked even smaller than Charlie when he was in his father's hands. Much like his brother, Aaron's head fit comfortably in Edward's palm. Sharing a look with me, I knew Edward was struggling to keep himself together.

Lauren lifted Thomas out next and asked us who got to hold him. While I knew Edward wanted to hold him, he graciously allowed me be the first to hold Thomas. Cradling Charlie in one arm, I opened my other arm for Thomas. Lauren gently placed him in my arm and stepped back. Edward stood up and held Aaron out to me, and somehow, I managed to hold all three of my boys. In that moment, all those weeks of worrying, stressing over how I felt, complaining about being stuck in bed, and dealing with my out-of-control hormones was worth it.

"Hey, Bella." The sound of Lauren's voice pulled me out of my memories, and I looked over at her, finding her standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Lauren. How are my boys today?" I asked, sticking my hands under the hot water.

"Well, that's what I want to talk to you about."

My heart leapt in my chest and I snapped my head toward her. I searched her eyes for any sign that something had happened, but saw nothing. "Why?"

"It's good news," she assured, laughing. "I think Charlie and Aaron are ready to go into the regular nursery."

I gasped, unsure I'd heard her correctly. "What?"

"I said, I think Charlie and Aaron are ready to go into the regular nursery," she repeated herself.

Bringing my hand up to my mouth, I release a shallow breath. "Are you sure? They're still so little?"

"But strong. We'll still be keeping a close eye on them, and if we need to, we'll bring them back to the NICU, but I'd like to see how they do." Lauren pushed off the doorframe and walked over to me, taking hold of my hand. "Bella, if I wasn't sure that your sons would be okay, I wouldn't even be considering this. But Charlie and Aaron are breathing very well on their own. Since they can latch onto a bottle easily, I'd like to give them this chance."

Nodding, I blinked back my tears. "But what about Thomas?"

Lauren frowned. "He's not quite ready yet. He's getting stronger every day, and his lungs are strong, but his bilirubin level is not where we want it yet. I'd feel safer if we kept him in the NICU, where he'll get the attention and care that he deserves."

"But you're talking about separating the boys," I grumbled. "I don't want Thomas to be left behind. He needs his brothers."

"And they will be just one room away, Bella."

I sighed. "Are you sure they're ready?"

"Yes," she said nodding.

Closing my eyes, I heard myself say, "Okay, but can you wait until E is here? I don't want to do this alone."

"Of course!" I opened my eyes and saw her smiling at me. "Just let me know when he gets here and we'll do this together, okay?"

"Thanks, Lauren."

"You're welcome, Bella."

With a small wave, Lauren left. I dug my cell phone out of my back pocket and sent Edward a text, telling him to get his ass to the hospital as soon as possible. Then, rewashing my hands, I pulled on my sterile gown and walked into the NICU. As they had been since the day they were born, my boys were in the back corner. Their incubators had pictures that the nurses had drawn for them, each one with their name on them. It was touching and made me smile to think of the care they were giving my boys. Stopping next to Charlie's incubator first, I lifted the side, drawing his attention to me. They'd uncovered his eyes and he looked over at me, though I knew it was unlikely that he could focus on me. Sliding my hands under him, I lifted him out and brought him up to my chest, being careful with the monitors that were still attached to his chest. They'd kept a close eye on my boys' hearts.

"Hey, sweet boy," I whispered, kissing his head. "Mommy missed you."

Charlie gurgled, not really crying and I smiled. I loved the sounds that came out of my sweet boys.

"Hey, Dr. Swan." I looked over my shoulder at Holly, one of the NICU nurses that had been taking care of my boys over the last four weeks. I'd asked them all a dozen times to call me Bella, but they refused, saying that it didn't feel right. I opted to let it go. "It's about time for him to eat. Want to feed him?"

I grinned at her. "Yes."

Holly laughed. "I figured you'd want to."

I got settled in the rocking chair and took the bottle from her. While I'd tried to pump my milk for them, my supply dried up too soon so we were forced to put them on formula. I hated it, but knew we didn't have any choice. Cradling Charlie in my arm, I slipped the tiny nipple into his mouth and watched as he sucked the formula out.

"How much has he been eating?" I asked.

"Almost an ounce," she replied.

I nodded. "That's good."

"Very good," Holly replied, standing next to me and placing two bottles next to me: one with Aaron's name and the other with Thomas'. "Most full-term newborns aren't eating that much, so to see these little guys eating like champs makes us all very happy here in the NICU."

"Me too," I murmured.

Holly went to check on some of the other babies, leaving me alone with mine. While Charlie ate, I looked around at the other babies in the NICU. There were only three other babies in here with my boys: two girls and another boy. The girls were twins born a week ago at thirty-four weeks. The older of the two — Addison — was born with heart defect and they weren't hopeful that she'd pull through. My instinct as a doctor had been to pick up her chart and see what I could do to help, but I knew they were doing everything they could for Allison and her sister Jillian. The little boy — Jeremiah — had been born two days ago. While he'd been born full-term, his umbilical born had been wrapped around his neck several times, and from what I'd gathered, they'd had to revive him. A shudder soared through me at what his parents had gone through.

Once Charlie ate three-fourths of an ounce, I burped him and placed him back inside his incubator, moving over to Aaron next. He was my squirmier, always wiggling around in my arms. Again, I settled into the rocking chair and picked up the bottle that Holly had left for him and slipped it into his tiny mouth. Like his brother, they'd uncovered his eyes and he looked at me. Both boys' eyes were a dark grey, but I could see green speckles in them and knew that they'd end up being as green as Edward's were.

"B!" I heard Edward call out as he rushed into the NICU, trying to put his sterile gown on at the same time. He looked over at me and sighed, his shoulder's relaxed as he looked from me and Aaron, to Charlie and then to Thomas. "B, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," I said, frowning. I hadn't thought about how Edward would react to my text message when I sent it. "Lauren thinks Charlie and Aaron are ready for the regular nursery."

"What? Is she sure?" Edward walked over to us and lifted Thomas out of his incubator, settling in the chair next to mine. "Hand me his bottle."

Balancing Aaron's bottle with my chin, I grabbed Thomas' bottle and handed it to Edward. "Keep his blanket up around him."

"I know, B," he replied. Since Thomas' jaundice levels were still higher than we wanted, they'd wrapped him in a special blanket that would help break down the bilirubin in his blood. "Now, tell me what Lauren said."

"Basically, she thinks that Charlie and Aaron are strong enough to go into the regular nursery, but feels that Thomas needs to stay here. I don't know. I don't like the idea of separating them."

Edward blew out a heavy breath. "Yeah, me either, but that's good news, right? That Charlie and Aaron are healthy enough to be taken out of the NICU."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But Thomas . . ."

"Yeah, Thomas," Edward echoed, smiling down at our son. Where Charlie and Aaron's eyes had both been uncovered, Thomas' still were. The bilirubin lights were harsh, and we didn't want to risk any damage. "He'll follow soon, B. He's too stubborn to let his brothers surpass him."

"You think so?" I asked.

Edward laughed. "Yeah. He is your son, after all."

"Ha-ha." I rolled my eyes and looked down at Aaron. He'd drifted to sleep after eating just over half an ounce. "Looks like this little guy was sleepy."

I played the bottle onto the table next to me and cradled Aaron to my chest before standing up and carrying him over to his incubator, laying him inside. Stroking his tiny arm with my fingertips, I sighed and looked over at Edward.

"Guess I should page Lauren."

Edward nodded, though he didn't look any more confident than I felt that we were making the right decision to move Charlie and Aaron, while leaving Thomas behind. "Yeah."

While Edward cuddled with Thomas, I asked Holly to page Lauren for me. She smiled and said she'd take care of it. Edward filled me in on his phone call with Phil while we waited. He said Phil was going to fax over some information on our staff so we could get to know them before we moved. It was hard to think about work when our sons were in the hospital, but we had to make plans. We'd be moving in a less than two months, and had to face the reality of our decision.

"The realtor also called and said she'd found a few houses in our price range," Edward said, placing Thomas back into his incubator and looking over at me. "She's faxing them over to us."

I nodded. "God, it still feels weird to be thinking about buying a house."

Edward laughed and sat down next to me. "I know. It's so grown up!"

"Ugh, right?" I giggled, looking at the boys.

A couple of minutes later, Lauren came strolling into the NICU with her yellow, sterile gown on and a smile on her face.

"Edward, has Bella filled you in on our plan?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. You're sure, right? The boys are strong enough to be moved?" he asked.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have said anything. Charlie and Aaron are ready for this. Considering how early they were, I'm impressed with how well they've done."

"And Thomas isn't ready to be moved? You're sure about that, too?" Edward pressed, the desperation in his tone evident. Reaching over, I slipped my hand into his, knowing he was just as scared about this move as I was.

"Okay, listen to me, you two," Lauren said, pulling over a rolling stool and sitting in front of us. "I know this is scary. Honestly, when you came to me and asked me to be your sons' pediatrician, I expected to be dealing with three very sick babies, but other than underdeveloped lungs, Thomas' kidneys, and low birth weight, they were born incredibly healthy. All three of them have almost doubled their birth weight, they're feeding on their own, and able to breathe on their own, too. Please, for the love of God, trust me when I say that they're ready for this. Knowing how tough Thomas is, he'll be following his brothers soon."

"It's not that we don't trust you, Lauren," I said, shaking my head.

"No, I know. You're scared and nervous, I get that, but I would not take a risk like this if I thought they weren't more than ready."

"We know," Edward said, sighing. "So, when are we moving them?"

"No time like the present," Lauren laughed, and stood up. "Come on, I'll let you both take them to the nursery."

Taking a deep breath, I walked over to Thomas' incubator, reached inside, and stroked his cheek gently. "I love you, sweet boy, and I'll be back in a little bit."

Tears filled my eyes as I turned and faced Edward, finding him struggling to keep the tears at bay, too. After he whispered that he loved Thomas, we prepared Charlie and Aaron for the move. It felt weird to be taking such a step, but somehow, we managed carry them out of the NICU, with the nurses watching with pride, and next door to the regular nursery, where we found a new group of nurses waiting for us. The care they gave all their patients was touching.

"You don't need those gowns in here, Mom and Dad," one of the nurses said, gesturing to our sterile gowns.

"Oh, yeah," I muttered, feeling my cheeks warm with my embarrassment. Placing Aaron in Edward's arms, I stripped off my gown and tossed it into the trash. Then, for the first time, I held Charlie and Aaron in arms, without any type of protective gear to keep my germs off of them. I was unable to keep my tears from falling. "I never thought I'd cry over not wearing those gowns."

"A common feeling, Dr. Swan," the nurse laughed, grabbing Edward's gown from him and tossing it into the trash with mine.

I looked over at him, noticing that he seemed anxious to hold them, too. "Here, E."

Stepping over, I placed the boys in his arms, watching as his breath caught in his chest and he looked from them up to me. "It's amazing."

"I know," I cried, covering my heart with my hand. "We just need Thomas here, and everything will be perfect."

"Soon, B," he murmured, shifting his gaze down to Charlie and Aaron. "Soon."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Did you cry? I'll admit that I did, but I love those babies so much!**


	30. Chapter 29

**AUGUST 7th EPOV**

Moaning, I rolled from my back onto my side and slid my hand across the bed, searching for my wife. Sliding up over her ass, I gripped her hip in my hand and pulled Bella against me, molding myself around her. Pressing my face into her shoulder, I smiled when I heard her soft giggles.

"Morning, baby," I murmured, kissing every inch of her skin that I could.

"Morning," she whispered, rolling onto her back.

My hand drifted across her abdomen, and over the scar that now lay across her stomach. After five weeks, it wasn't tender anymore and unlike the three tiny scars left over from Jacob's attack, Bella wasn't ashamed of this one. Opening my eyes, I propped myself up on my elbow and looked down at Bella, overcome by her beauty. Where the hardship over the last couple of years had taken their toll on her, leaving her thin and unhealthy, now her face was full and her eyes sparkled with happiness. She beautiful and breathtaking, and mine — all mine.

"You're happy this morning," I commented, noting the wide, beautiful smile on her face.

"I'm hopeful," she murmured. "I think today's the day for Thomas."

"You do, huh?" I asked. Lauren had told us the day before that if Thomas' bilirubin levels stay down over night, they'd transfer him to the nursery with his brothers. Needless to say the last five days had been hard. Bella and I were trying to divide our time between all three boys, but it was hard when we desperately needed all three of them to be together again.

"Yep," she giggled, bringing her hand up to my cheek. "Call it Mother's intuition, or whatever, but I feel good about today."

Nodding, I shifted my eyes over to the clock, noting the time. "You know, if we hurry, we could get to the hospital in time for rounds."

In a heartbeat, Bella was out of my arms and halfway across the room. I laughed and followed her. We quickly showered and dressed, both of us opting to dress casually in cotton shorts and T-shirts. Less than ten minutes later, we were on our way downstairs. We'd just taken the last step when we saw James out front of the diner, picking up the trash that had been tossed onto the sidewalk overnight.

"Hey, you two," he called out with a wave. "On your way to see your boys?"

"Yep," Bella chirped. "Hoping Thomas gets to join Charlie and Aaron today."

"Oh, yay!" James cheered, causing Bella and I to laugh. "Give them hugs and kisses from Uncle James and Uncle Laurent, okay?"

"Will do," I replied, smiling as we started toward the hospital.

"I'm gonna miss James and Laurent when we move," Bella murmured, tightening her hold on my hand.

"Me too," I agreed.

It was hard to think about the fact that in just over a month, Bella and I would be leaving our friends and family in New York City and starting a new life in Arlington, Vermont. Hopefully, at least. Until the boys were out of the hospital, we couldn't make any solid plans, but all three babies were doing remarkably well considering their early start in life. Charlie and Aaron had flourished in the regular nursery, and our sweet little Thomas was fighting to join them. His bilirubin levels were down to eleven as of yesterday morning. He was proving once again that he was a fighter.

"Did you remember to fax those papers to Phil?" Bella asked.

I nodded. "Last night."

"Good," she murmured.

I knew Bella still wasn't sure if we should take the chance and move, but in my gut, I knew this was the right move for our family. With three new babies, we'd need jobs with less stress and fewer hours than we'd get in New York. Plus, I didn't want to raise the boys in the city. I wanted them to have a yard to play in. I wanted them to be able to lie outside in the summer and look at the stars. I wanted them to have the same type of bond that I had with my brothers, that I still hoped to have with my brothers after Bella and I broke the news of our upcoming move with them. We still hadn't told them, afraid of their reaction. Bella and I agreed that we needed get it over with, but we had enough to worry about with the boys. We didn't need to add their reactions to our stress level.

"Any word from the realtor yet?" I asked.

Bella sighed. "No. I left her another message last night, but I feel like she's avoiding us. I just don't know how we can make a decision like this without really getting a good look at the houses. Lord knows, we don't have time to take a trip to Vermont right now."

"Renee offered to go for us. Maybe we should take her up on it," I suggested.

Nodding, Bella huffed. "Yeah, I guess, but it's our first house, E. Feels like we should have a bigger role in the process. I mean, fuck, we're going to be paying for it!"

I laughed. "I know, B, but we're kind of busy right now. We can always stay in a hotel when we first move or an apartment, but I don't think we want to do that with the boys."

"No, we don't." Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I'll talk to my mom and see if she'll take a look at them for us this weekend when she goes up to close on her place."

We walked the last few minutes in silence, enjoying the summer morning. Bypassing the emergency room, Bella and I headed up to the babies. She hadn't been back in the ER since before she went on bedrest, but I'd taken to picking up a few shifts here and there. Carlisle had a few leads on our replacements, but until we made our official announcement, he couldn't proceed. Just one more reason why we needed to get the stick out of our asses and tell everyone.

As we did every morning, we stopped by and checked on Charlie and Aaron first, since we didn't have to wear our sterile gowns anymore with them. I longed for the day when we'd be able to pack our sons up and walk them out of the hospital. I was ready for us to be a family — a real family.

"Good morning, sweet boy," Bella cooed, lifting Aaron into her arms and nestling him against her chest. I would never get tired of the sight of her with my children in her arms. She was beautiful and amazing. I was in total and complete awe of her. Aaron whimpered, pressing his face into Bella's chest, causing her to sigh. "I missed you, too, baby boy."

Smiling, I turned to Charlie and lifted him in my arms and placing a kiss to the top of his head. Charlie never really cried. Instead, he made a gargling sound, almost like a cat purring. It was quickly becoming one of my favorite sounds in the world.

"Hey, buddy," I whispered. "How'd you do last night?"

"Are you expecting him to answer, Dr. Cullen?" Yasmin, one of the nurses, asked.

I laughed. "Not yet. I know they're geniuses, but I don't expect them to speak for a few more weeks at least."

"Well, as long as you don't have high expectations," she teased, coming over and placing a hand on Charlie and Aaron's backs. "The boys did good. Both of them fed twice, each taking in over an ounce each time."

"That's great," Bella murmured, nuzzling Aaron's head with her lips. "Has Dr. Mallory been in yet?"

"Should be here any minute," Yasmin said. "I called next door and checked in on Thomas, too. He had a good night."

"Thank God," I breathed.

Bella's eyes closed and she nodded, before settling into one of the rocking chairs. "Did you hear that, sweet boy? Thomas did good. That means he'll be here with you and Charlie soon."

Aaron stretched against Bella, a wide yawn spreading over his face. I sat next to Bella, holding Charlie against my chest.

"So I've been thinking," I said, drawing Bella's attention to me. "We should tell everyone tonight."

As I expected, she tensed up and her eyes flittered down to the boys. "You're right. We really can't keep putting it off. It's been over a month already."

"Yeah."

"Do you think they'll get mad?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Me too," she groused. "But it doesn't matter, right? We're doing what's right for us and the boys."

"Exactly." I smiled, hoping I looked more confident than I felt. Logically, I knew Bella and I were acting on the best interest of our family, but emotionally, I was reeling. I needed my brothers to support me, and I needed Rose and Alice to understand that even though we were moving, Bella was still their sister.

"Hello," Lauren sang, waltzing into the nursery with a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. "You're here earlier than normal."

"We're impatient. You know that about us," Bella replied.

Lauren laughed. "That I do."

She walked over to us and picked up the boys' charts and began flipping through them. A nod here and a hum there, but she never really said anything.

Bella huffed. "So?"

"So what?" Lauren smirked.

"Dr. Mallory!" Bella cried out.

"Oh, so it's Dr. Mallory now, huh?" Lauren snorted. "Fine. Thomas had a good night. Great actually." She paused and looked from Bella over to me. "I think he's ready."

"Seriously?" I asked, unable to keep the tremor of fear out of my voice.

"Yes. His bilirubin level had dropped down to a nine. And he wet three diapers last night, so I think he's ready."

"Oh, thank God," Bella whimpered, allowing a tear to slip down her face when she closed her eyes. Aaron squirmed in her arms again, almost like he was trying to burrow closer to her. Opening her eyes, Bella sighed in relief. "When can we get him?"

"How about now?" Lauren suggested.

Faster than I thought possible, Bella and I were on our feet. We placed Charlie and Aaron back in their plastic bassinets, and followed Lauren next door to the NICU. Instead of going through the process of scrubbing up and putting on sterile gowns, we waited in the hallway for Holly to bring Thomas out to us.

She placed him in Bella's arms. "He's a fighter, Dr. Swan."

"I know," Belle wept, holding Thomas close and kissing the top of his head. Her tears seeped down her face, dropping onto his bald head. "Mommy has you, sweet boy."

"Dr. Swan, Dr. Cullen," Holly said, drawing our attention to her. She held out a card to me, which I took. "Here in the NICU, we try very hard not to get too attached to the babies. It's an occupational hazard, as I'm sure you're well aware of, but none of us could help it with Charlie, Thomas, and Aaron. Those babies came into this world with the odds stacked against them, yet they've fought hard. Anyway, we just wanted to say that we're proud of your boys and we wish you all the best."

"Thank you," Bella murmured, carefully holding Thomas with one arm and reaching out of Holly's hand with the other.

The nurse gripped hers tightly and smiled. "Take care of those boys."

"We will," I promised. Holly turned and walked back into the NICU, and I looked over at Bella. "Ready?"

She nodded. "More than ready."

Placing one hand on the small of her back, I brought my other one up to Thomas' back and walked next to Bella as Lauren led us next door to the regular nursery. They already had Thomas' bassinet next to his brothers, and like when we brought Charlie and Aaron in, the entire nursing staff was waiting for us.

However, instead of putting Thomas in his bassinet, Bella turned to me and gestured for the rocking chair I'd been sitting in previously. I sat and she placed my son in my arms. The feelings that soared through me could only be referred to as pure happiness.

Then, Bella turned and lifted Charlie, placing him in my other arm. When she picked up Aaron, I expected her sit down next to me, but she didn't. Instead, she held my third son out to me.

"I can't hold all them," I muttered, nervously.

Bella smiled. "You can."

I shifted Charlie and Thomas so that they were nestled in the crooks of my arms, but had my hands free. Gently, Bella placed Aaron in my hands. As I sat there holding my sons and gazing down upon their beautiful faces, I was overcome with a feeling of completeness. Bella and I had struggled in our years apart, and overcome the pain and anger of Jacob Black's attack. We'd clung to each other when her father had been killed, and through the miscarriage, almost letting our anger break us apart. When things got hard, we created three amazing little boys — our boys.

"E?" Bella asked.

Smiling, I looked up at her, realizing that I'd been crying. "Look at them, B? They're ours."

"I know," she giggled and sat down next to me. Reaching out, she ran her hand over their heads, sighing. "The next step is taking them home."

"Yeah, home," I whispered.

—MBTFS—

By the time Bella and I left the hospital, I felt like I'd been put through the wringer. We'd sent everyone a text, asking them to meet us at James' diner for a late dinner. They'd agreed, and since then, my nerves had been on fire. Though, spending the day with my sons in my arms was a good way of keeping myself from worrying too much. Bella and I took turns holding them, feeding them, changing their diapers, and even giving them their first baths. Well, their first baths by us, anyway.

Sliding her hand into mine, I could feel Bella trembling and knew she was just as scared about our family's reactions as I was. Stopping just outside of the diner, I sighed when I saw everyone already waiting for us. James and Laurent were sitting at one end of the long table with Carlisle, Esme, and Renee on the other end. Between them sat Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. Through the spotless glass, I could tell that they were making idle chitchat while waiting for us.

Looking down at Bella, I saw her biting her bottom lip. I tugged it from between her teeth, causing her to shift her attention up to me. "No matter what they say, we're not backing down, okay? We're making the right decision for us and for the boys."

Releasing a breath, Bella leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips against mine. "I love you, E."

"I love you, too."

I held the door open for Bella, who glared playfully at me on her way by. Yeah, I was making her go first. When we walked inside, everyone turned and looked at us, smiling.

"How are my nephews?" James demanded.

"Hello, James, how nice to see you again. How am I? I'm great, thanks for asking," Bella snickered, causing him to scowl. "The boys are great — just great. Thomas was moved to the regular nursery today."

Everyone gasped.

"Really?" Alice asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Yeah," I replied. "It felt right having them all together again."

"Has Lauren given you any indication on when they'll be able to come home?" Rose asked as Bella and I sat down between her and Esme.

Bella frowned. "No, not yet. Hopefully soon, though. I'm ready."

"They will," I whispered, kissing the side of her head.

Sighing, she nodded and leaned toward me.

"Well, I'm sure you're both starving," Laurent said, standing up. "What would y'all like to eat?"

Since Bella and I had been living on hospital food for the five weeks, we both ordered the banana pancakes, with bacon, sausage, hash browns, and eggs. Adding a cup of coffee, we sat back, and watched James and Laurent had headed into the kitchen to make everything.

"When are you both coming back to work?" Jasper asked. Noticing the way our shoulders' tensed, he quickly added, "Not that you don't have other worries or anything. I mean, shit, you're busy with the boys. Sorry, I —"

"J, stop," I said, keeping him from rambling on. "We know what you meant, but that's, um, kind of what we wanted to talk to you about."

"What do you mean?" Alice sat up straight and looked from me to Bella. "B?"

"Ali . . ." She trailed off and shook her head. Carlisle, Esme, and Renee shifted their eyes to the table, knowing how hard this moment was going to be for both of us.

"What the hell is going on?" Rose demanded, shifting her eyes between us.

"B and I have been offered jobs in Arlington, Vermont," I said, trying to keep my voice calm and even. "And we've decided to accept them."

"What?" Emmett asked, his face crumpling.

"We're moving to Vermont," Bella murmured, "in September."

A deafening silence fell upon us. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice just stared at us for several minutes, their body tense and ridged.

"How long have you known that you were leaving?" Alice asked breaking the silence.

"Awhile," Bella whispered.

"How long is awhile?" Rose gritted. "A week?"

Bella and I shook our heads.

"Two weeks?" she pressed.

"Since just before the boys were born," I said. The four of them gaped at us. "When Phil Dwyer called and offered us the jobs, we knew that this was a decision that we had to make, not only for ourselves, but for Charlie, Thomas, and Aaron."

"And you couldn't talk to us about it first?" Jasper sputtered. "You just make a decision like this without even thinking about us?"

"Of course we thought about you," Bella insisted, reaching for him but he pulled away. "J!"

"Bullshit, B!" he spat, standing up so fast his chair fell backward. James and Laurent came rushing out of the kitchen, stopping dead in their tracks. "After everything that we've been through together, how can you leave us again?"

"J, I'm not leaving you," Bella insisted.

"You're fucking moving to Vermont, B?" Emmett snarled. "That's not like moving a few blocks away. That's leaving the goddamn state!"

"We know this is hard, but —" I started, but stopped when Rose stood up.

"It's like we don't even matter to you anymore," she muttered. "Maybe we never did."

"Ro," Bella called out, but it was too late. She'd wrapped her arms around herself and walked out of the diner. Emmett, Alice, and Jasper stood up, and followed. Leaning forward, Bella placed her face in her hands and screamed. "Why does it always have to be so fucking hard all the time?"

"I don't know," I murmured, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her into my arms.

"We'll talk to them," Carlisle said. "We'll make them see why you have to do this."

"Like it will help," Bella whispered, shaking her head. Leaning away from me, she dragged her fingers through her hair. "But I can't worry about them right now. My sons need my attention. If they can't accept our decision, then that's on them. We have bigger shit to worry about."

"That's right," I added. "Like where we are going to live come September when we move."

"Yeah. Mom, we were hoping that you'd go by and look at a few houses for us when you go up this weekend," Bella said, looking at Renee.

"Of course," she replied, smiling. "Just email me a list of things you're looking for in the house. I'll take some pictures, too, so you can see everything."

"Thanks," I said, shaking my head. "We just can't go with the boys in the hospital still. If something were to happen while we were gone . . ." I couldn't even finish that though before a shudder slammed into me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything," Renee insisted.

James and Laurent came over a minute later and placed our food in front of us before sitting back down.

"So, you're moving, huh?" James asked.

"Yep," Bella murmured, buttering her pancakes before she looked up at him. "Are you going to give me shit about it now, too?"

James smiled. "Hell no! Personally, I think it's a great idea. Sure, we'll miss you and it'll suck that we won't get to see those boys of yours every day, but part of being a parent is having to make hard choices for the best of your children. That's what you're doing, right?"

"We think so," I said. "I just wish they'd understand that this wasn't an easy decision for us to make."

"They will," Laurent said, shrugging his shoulders. "Right now, they're just scared."

"Scared of what?" I asked.

"Scared that you're going to forget about them now that you have boys of your own," James replied, like it was the most obvious reason in the world.

"We'll always need them," Bella whimpered.

"We know that, and deep down, they know that, too, honey." James reached over and grabbed her hand. "Just give them a few days and then talk to them again, okay?"

Bella nodded, dislodging a few tears.

"Good girl," he sighed. "Now eat. You both need your strength."

While Laurent, Renee, Carlisle, and Esme laughed, Bella and I did as he said and dug into our food.

By the time we got back up to our apartment, we were both drained — physically and emotionally. We changed into our pajamas and climbed into bed, letting the silence permeate around us.

"E?" Bella whispered.

"Yeah," I said, lobbing my head to the side and looking at her in the darkness. The light trickling in through the windows wrapped around her and I saw the tears sliding noiselessly down her face. Rolling onto my side, I leaned up on my elbow. "B?"

"It hurt," she cried. "When they yelled at us, accusing us of not caring anymore — it hurt."

"I know, baby," I murmured, sliding my arm across her abdomen and scooting closer to her, "It hurt me, too."

"Is this end of us? Have we lost them for good?" she wept, rolling and nestling herself in my embrace.

"I hope not."

And I hoped that my words were true.

**Thank you for all the reviews! Only two chapters to go!**


	31. Chapter 30

**AUGUST 15th BPOV**

"E, come on!" I hollered, nervously tapping my foot and looking at my cell phone again.

Partly because I was checking to what time it was, but also because I was hoping to see a text or missed call from Emmett, Rose, Alice, or Jasper. But of course, there wasn't anything from them. There never was. It'd been a week, and they still weren't talking to either of us.

Sighing, I shook my head. "E!"

"I'm coming," he said, rushing out of our bedroom. "Sorry, Phil would not shut up!"

"Apparently," I muttered. I reached for the doorknob, but Edward grabbed my hand and brought it up to his chest, placing my hand over his heart. "E."

"I know that things have been rough over the last few days, B, but the boys are getting stronger and they're healthy. Just try to focus on the good stuff, and not the bad, okay?"

"I'm trying," I whispered, feeling silly for getting so upset. "It feels like we're fifteen, and I'm saying goodbye again. I don't know. I just thought when I found you that we'd never let anything come between us, yet that's all that's happened. First, after the miscarriage and now, with the move to Vermont. I don't want to lose Em, J, Ro, and Ali, E."

"We won't," he vowed, and I knew he was trying to convince himself as much as me. "Somehow, I'll get them to understand."

"Yeah?" I asked.

Edward nodded.

"Good luck with that," I muttered. "Let's go see the boys. I need to hold them."

Ten minutes later, Edward and I were seated in the nursery with our sons in our arms. He was holding Aaron, while I had Charlie and Thomas in my arms. Each day it seemed like they grew an inch, when in reality they hadn't. However, six weeks after their birth, the boys had all doubled, or even tripled their birth weight. As of yesterday morning, Charlie weighted four pounds and eight ounces, Aaron was four pounds and three ounces, and sweet little Thomas was at four pounds even. They'd come so far in a few short, yet long weeks. I was so proud of my boys.

"How's it going in here?" Lauren asked, strolling into the nursery with a smile on her face. She always seemed so happy, and I wondered how she kept such a good attitude.

"Great," I said, grinning at her. "The boys all ate an ounce and a half last night!"

"Yay," she cheered with me and picked up Charlie's chart, flipping through his stats from the night before.

One of the hardest habits for me not to do was to immediately pick up their charts when I came in each day and obsess over each and every detail. It wouldn't have done me any good, and this is one of those cases where being a doctor sucked. I couldn't look at my boys with objectivity. Once she looked over Charlie's chart, she went onto Aaron's, and then finally to Thomas'. Nodding and humming a few times, she made a few quick notes and looked back over at me and Edward.

"You have everything set up for them at home? Crib, plenty of diapers, bottles, and such?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied with a laugh. "I think we had it all ready before I hit twenty weeks. We were a little impatient."

Lauren smiled and nodded again. "What about car seats? Or do you not have a car?"

"We don't have a car, but we have carriers for them," Edward answered, slowly. "Why do you want to know this?"

Lauren's smile turned into a smirk. "Because I need to know that when I send your babies home today that you're going to be prepared to take care of them on your own."

All I could do was stare at her. My heart was thumbing wildly in my chest, and the air seemed to have gotten stuck in my lungs. When my eyes began to burn, I realized they'd filled with tears. Blinking rapidly, I looked from her to Edward, finding that he, too, was staring at her in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" I whispered. "Because if this is a joke, I will be so pissed."

"I would _never_ joke about something like this, Bella," Lauren murmured, pulling a stool over and sitting in front of us. "While normally, I'd wait until the boys were over five pounds, I think they're ready. For being born eleven weeks early, they've made incredible progress. They eat, their organs are functioning normally, and you're ready to be home with them."

Taking a shallow breath, I tried to stop the tears from pouring down my face, but this was the moment we'd been looking forward to since the boys were born. No, that's not right. This was the moment we'd been looking for since the morning Edward and I snuck into the emergency room and did that ultrasound that told us we were having triplets.

"When can we leave?" Edward asked.

Lauren smiled. "After lunch. I'm going to see if I can get you a couple extra cans of formula, and one of you will need to go get those carriers."

"I can't believe this is really happening," I giggled through my tears, and looked down at Charlie and Thomas before shifting my eyes to Aaron. "Did you hear that, sweet boys? You get to go home today."

Almost like they understood what I'd said, all three boys opened their eyes and turned their heads in the direction of my voice. Maybe they did.

—MBTFS—

Lauren left a few minutes later, telling us that she was going to get everything set up so that we'd be ready to leave after lunch. Edward slipped Aaron into my arms and stepped out of the nursery so he could call Renee and ask her to run to our apartment and get the boys' carriers and their bag that we had sitting on the couch in preparation for this exact moment. We knew the day would come when they'd come home, and wanted to be prepared. However, nothing we did could prepare us for the feelings that I knew we were dealing with: overwhelming joy.

When Edward came back inside, his eyes were red and I knew he'd taken a moment for himself and cried. He'd been so strong, always holding me when I struggled with the idea of leaving them here for one more night. I was glad he'd taken the time to let his own feelings out.

Renee showed up forty-five minutes later, looking happier than I'd seen her in a long time. She stood next to me while Edward and I changed the boys out of the tiny white T-shirts that the hospital had them wearing and put on the outfits that we'd bought for them. It was silly — I knew this — but slipping on the matching blue onesies and pants had me fighting off my tears once again.

"Can I hold them?" Renee asked, once we had them dressed and wrapped back in their blankets.

"Of course," I replied, smiling. "Sit down."

Renee settled in the rocking chair I normally sat in and held her arms open. Scooping Charlie up first, I placed him in her arms, smiling when I heard her gasp.

"He's so little."

"Not as little as he was," I snickered as I lifted Thomas next. "Here."

"Oh, only one at a time," she fretted, but I ignored her and placed him in her other arm. "Oh, Bella, they are so precious."

"Aren't they?" When I picked Aaron up, her eyes went wide, but she didn't argue as I placed him between his brothers.

"I think about him," Renee whimpered, looking down at the boys and I knew she was talking my father. "Every night before I go to sleep, and again in the morning when I first wake up. Sometimes, I swear, it feels like he's lying there next to me, holding me tight."

"He probably is," I whispered, sliding into the chair next to her.

Renee looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "He would be so proud of you, sweetheart."

"You think so?" I cried.

She nodded, allowing a tear to slip down her face. "All Charlie ever wanted was for his little girl to be happy. Watching you suffer for so long, knowing that there wasn't anything we could do to make you feel better, was so hard, honey — so hard. But you and Edward found each other again. You've been through hell and somehow managed to make it. That alone would make him proud to be your daddy."

"I miss him," I wept. Immediately, Edward was kneeling in front of me, holding my hands and doing what he could to soothe away the grief I still felt over my father's untimely passing. "But I know that he was here, watching over my boys when I couldn't be. He promised that they'd be okay, and I believed him. Look! They're going home with us!"

"He's probably smirking," Renee giggled. "You know how he got when he was right about something."

"Yeah, I do," I murmured, reaching over and stroking Charlie's head. "I love you, Mom. I don't tell you enough, but I could not have gotten through the last year without you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart." Renee smiled and looked over at Edward. "And you, too, Edward."

"Thanks, Renee. I love you, too," he mumbled, his ears turning red.

After a few minutes, Edward took Aaron from Renee, while I held Thomas, needing to snuggle with my sweet little boy. The three of us waited for Lauren to come back and give us the official word that we could leave. We fed them, amazed when all three babies sucked down almost two ounces of formula. It was almost like they were trying to tell us that they were ready, that it was time.

Finally, just after one in the afternoon, Lauren walked through the doors of the nursery with a stack of papers in her hands, and three diaper bags slung up on her shoulders.

"Okay, just need your signature, and you're good to go," she announced.

I stood up and walked over to the counter. She offered to take Thomas from me, but I shook my head and shifted him into my left arm, grabbed the pen with my right hand, and proceeded to sign the discharge papers that officially released my sons from the hospital.

With my heart racing, I turned and looked at my husband. "You ready?"

"More than ever," he replied, his smile matching mine.

"Okay, I'd like to see them next week for a check-up. You both have my pager and cell numbers, don't be afraid to call if something comes up," Lauren said. Turning, she walked over to the door of the nursery, only to stop and looked back at us. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Lauren," I replied, sincerely, "for everything."

"It was my pleasure." With a wave, she was gone.

Edward and I got the boys in their carriers, which seemed odd to us. They were so tiny that I had to remind myself that Lauren wouldn't have released them if she wasn't sure they were ready. With the diaper bags from the hospital and ours from home slung up on my shoulder, I hooked Thomas' carrier on one arm while Edward picked up the carriers carrying Aaron and Charlie. Together, with my mother leading the way down the hallway, we walked out of the nursery and to the elevator. It seemed like every person who worked on the floor had gathered to watch us take our boys home with us.

When we stepped onto the elevator, I released a heavy breath. I kept expecting someone to call out they were kidding, that the boys had to stay. We rode the elevator down to the lobby. Edward headed toward the main entrance, but stopped when I called out to him. He looked back at me, questioning me with his eyes.

"Is Carlisle working today?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "Think so."

"We should stop by the ER," I said, softly. "He hasn't gotten to hold the boys yet."

Edward smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"I'm gonna head on home," Renee said, hugging me. "Call me later, okay?"

"I will," I whispered. "Love you, Mom."

"I love you, too."

We watched Renee walk out of the hospital before heading to the emergency room. It was weird. This placed used to be like a second home to me, my one escape from the nightmares and darkness that seemed to follow me everywhere I went. But now, it was just a place I used to work. I'd miss it, but I knew this hospital wasn't where I was supposed to be anymore.

"Bella? Edward?" We looked over and saw Carlisle standing at the nurses' desk, working on a chart. His attention shifted from us, to the carriers hooked around our arms, and his grin grew. "You're taking them home?"

"Yes," Edward replied as we walked over to him and placed their carriers on the counter.

"Oh, my God," Carlisle sighed. "Look at how big they've gotten."

"They've grown a lot," I murmured, unbuckling Thomas from his carrier and lifting him out. I held him out to Carlisle, whose eyes flew open as he took him in his arms.

"Oh my," he breathed.

"Pretty amazing feeling, isn't it?" Edward asked, handing him Aaron next.

"Understatement of the year, my boy," Carlisle laughed, moving around the desk and settling in one of the chairs. I lifted Charlie out and carried him over, slipping him into Carlisle's waiting hands. "Wow, this is an odd feeling."

"What is?" I asked.

"Falling in love with someone at first sight," he murmured. "It happened to me four times before. When I met Esme, and then when Emmett, Jasper, and Edward were born." Tears filled Carlisle's eyes as he looked up from my boys, shifting his gaze to Edward. "And now, I can add this moment, when I met my grandsons for the first time."

"Dad," Edward murmured, sliding Thomas into his arms.

Carlisle stood up and placed Charlie and Aaron in my arms before wrapping his arms around my husband. "I am so proud of you, Edward."

"Thank you, Dad," he whispered, his voice laced with emotions.

"You're welcome." Carlisle stepped back and dragged his hand over his face, trying to be discreet as he wiped away his tears. "Anyway, you'd better get those boys home. There are way too many germs in this place."

"We love you, Carlisle," I said, smiling.

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

Edward and I strapped the boys back into the carriers and walked out of the hospital for the first time as a family. Keeping a blanket covering them, we made the three-block walk back to the apartment slowly, almost like we were afraid that every step we took was the wrong one, even though in my heart I knew that was stupid.

When we got to the apartment, I was surprised to see the door open. It wasn't until we heard Emmett's boisterous laughter coming from inside that realized who was inside. Sharing a look, Edward and I walked in, finding them in the living room with an ass-load of cardboard boxes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Edward demanded, causing the four of them to freeze before they turned and looked at us. All four of their eyes dropped to the boys — who were fast asleep — before looking back at us.

"What does it look like we're doing?" Emmett said, barely speaking above a whisper. "We're packing your stuff up for you."

"Why?" I wondered. "We're abandoning you, right? Isn't that what you think?"

The four of them flinched.

"Not anymore," Alice mumbled. "We were wrong, we admit that."

"Oh, well, as long as you can admit it," Edward snarked, placing Charlie and Aaron's carriers on the couch. He reached out for Thomas, so I slipped him off my arm and into his hand. When Edward placed Thomas next to his brothers, I noticed that all four of them followed my boys with their eyes.

"Why now?" I asked, drawing their attention to me. "What changed?"

Rose sighed. "We realized that we were being selfish."

"But why now?" I pleaded with them. "It's been a week, and you wait till today to decide to stop being assholes? We needed you to understand, to tell us that we aren't making the biggest mistake of our lives, because believe me, we've agonized over this decision for two months! So why now?"

"Fuck, B," Jasper murmured, shaking his head. Looking up at me, he sighed. "It was Renee."

"Renee?" I asked, sharing a look with Edward.

"She called us this morning and said that we were going to miss out on life if we didn't grow up and look past our own selfish needs. Then she hung up, and we just sat there, and it hit us. She was right. You and E have — God — you've become parents, and it's not fair of us to put our wants above your needs."

"So, we thought," Emmett started, "seeing as you're busy with the boys, that we'd help pack your place up for you."

"But we're not moving for another month," Edward pointed out, folding his arms in front of his chest. "And what made you think we'd want your help?" He pointed to me. "You made my wife cry. She just gave birth to triplets six weeks ago, and you assholes made her cry and feel guilty for daring to put them before your selfish needs. That's not cool!"

"And we are so sorry," Jasper implored. "It's just . . ." he paused, blowing out a heavy breath. "The last time we lived in different states, we didn't see B for ten years. And, E, you weren't really there either. I'm terrified that you're going to disappear on us again."

"Are you stupid?" I scoffed. "J, dude, E and I are married. You're my sons' uncles. Do you really think we're going to move and lose your addresses? Or phone numbers? I mean, really?"

"I never said it was rational," he muttered.

"Clearly," I replied, shaking my head. "This wasn't an easy decision to make, but moving to Vermont is going to offer us more stability than the city has for us. The boys deserve to have a yard to play in. They deserve a mom and a dad who aren't going to be working hundred hour weeks just to pay their bills. We had to grow up."

"We get that now," Rose said, walking over to me. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed my hand. "B, you were the first person who saw me as a woman with a brain, and not just tits and ass. You and Ali are my sisters in every way. Please forgive us for being assholes."

Tears filled my eyes as I reached out for Alice, who was sobbing into Jasper's chest, to join us. She rushed over, and grabbed my hand.

"We're always going to be sisters," I whispered. "Just — just don't make me feel guilty for putting my children before you again."

"We won't," Alice cried. "We promise."

Wrapping our arms around each other, we hugged, letting our tears fall and finding some closure — for now at least. Only time would tell if they would keep their words. They stepped back, wiping the tears off their cheeks and I looked over at Emmett and Jasper, both of whom were staring at their feet.

"Remember when I was five and you both talked me into eating that entire package of cookies?" I whispered.

Emmett and Jasper looked up at me.

"Yeah," Emmett said. "You threw up on my shoes."

"When Charlie asked me why I ate them all, do you remember what I told him?" I wiped a tear away.

"You — you . . ." Jasper paused, releasing a shaky breath. "You said if your boys could do it, then so could you."

"Yeah," I whispered. "I'm never letting you go again. Not even when you're assholes, who make me cry."

"B," Emmett fretted.

"Yeah, I know, Em." Sighing, I opened my arms to him and Jasper. They stalked over and wrapped their arms around me, lifting me off the ground. "I love you jerks too much to hold your stupidity against you."

"We love you, too, B," Jasper chuckled.

"You'd better. I named my sons after you." Laughing, I walked over to Aaron and unbuckled him from his carseat, holding him out to Jasper. "Here."

"No, he's too little," he groused. "I'd hurt him."

"You won't." I carried Aaron over to Jasper, placing him in his arms. "See?"

"Yeah," he breathed, staring down at his namesake.

"E, no." I looked back and saw Emmett trying to refuse to hold Charlie, but Edward wouldn't listen and placed my son in his uncle's arms. "Oh, God!"

"Incredible, right?" I asked, moving over and lifting Thomas out, passing him over to his father.

Rose and Alice had moved so that they were flanking their husbands, staring at the pint-size babies in their arms. Leaning my head against Edward's shoulders, I sighed in content. Maybe things weren't prefect, but it was a start.

**Thank you for all the reviews. One chapter to go…**


	32. Chapter 31

**SEPTEMBER 20th BPOV**

Shifting the baby sleeping peacefully in my arms, I took one more glance around the living room, shocked by how empty it looked. Once again, as they had so many times over the last eleven weeks, my eyes filled with tears and my heart beat wildly. Today, Edward and I were saying goodbye to our lives in New York City and setting off for Vermont.

James and Laurent had insisted that we take the furniture with us, telling us that we needed it more than they did and we had enough worries without adding searching for stuff for our new house. I appreciated it, even though my instincts told me to resist. Once stubborn, always stubborn, I guess.

"B, you ready?"

I looked over my shoulder, finding Edward standing in the doorway to our apartment with Charlie and Aaron in his arms. "I guess."

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" he murmured walking into the room and stopping next to me and Thomas. "Nine months ago we were struggling to make it through one day to the next, terrified that the next word either of us said would be the breaking point. And now, we're moving to Arlington, Vermont with our triplet sons."

I laughed. "It's surreal for sure." I sighed. "Is everyone waiting?"

"Yep," he said.

Nodding, I smiled. "Let's go."

Edward and I turned and walked out of the apartment, slowly taking the back staircase. Just like Edward said, everyone was waiting for us. Well, everyone but Renee. She'd moved the week before. She claimed that she wanted time to get her new house set up before Edward and I moved, but I think she was having a hard time with saying goodbye, too. It'd been almost a year since my father was killed, and so much had changed. I knew Renee would be waiting for us, and that put my worried heart at ease.

"Hey," I said, waving at everyone.

James and Laurent were loading the last of our luggage into the back of our new car, a brand new minivan. We'd need it when in Vermont. Esme and Carlisle were standing off to side, while Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice were huddled together. My heart ached at the thought of leaving them. While things between us had been great since the day we brought the boys home from the hospital, I still worried that they'd hate us for moving.

"We've got everything loaded for you, baby-doll," James announced, breaking me out of my mental ramblings.

"Thanks, sweetie," I said, walking over to him and Laurent and doing the best I could to hug them. It was hard to do with Thomas in my arms, but I managed. "For everything. You gave us a place to live when we needed one, a shoulder to lean on, and great food."

"Aw, baby-doll," James sighed, kissing my forehead. "We're gonna miss you and your man. Promise to keep in touch?"

"Of course," I giggled, sniffing back the tears that threatened to fall. "I love you both so much."

"We love you, too," Laurent said, sliding his arm around his lover's waist. "Have a safe trip."

"We will," I murmured, stepping back and allowing Edward to bid them his farewell. Esme tugged the baby out of my arms, peppering his little face with kisses. She looked up at me and I saw the battle to let her children go raging in her eyes. "Oh, Esme."

"I'm gonna miss you so much," she cried, pulling me into her arms and hugging me. Thomas didn't like it and started fussing so she released her hold on me. "Oh, sweetheart, it's okay."

I slipped the baby back into my arms, automatically bringing my hand up to the back of his head. Thomas nestled himself against my chest, right over my heart. It was his favorite spot, and I wondered if it was because he could feel my heart and it brought him comfort. My Thomas was a bit of a Momma's boy, and preferred to be in my arms over anyone else's. I didn't mind it one bit.

"Mommy has you," I whispered, kissing the top of Thomas' head. I shift my eyes up to Esme and Carlisle. "You know when you moved from Forks, I didn't understand about the sacrifices that a parent makes for their kids. I have to be honest and say that I thought you both were selfish for taking the boys from me. While I hate that we lost contact and I missed out on ten years of life with you, I understand having to make that decision."

"Well, we made the wrong decision, but you're not," Esme stated like it was fact. I wasn't as sure, but knew this was a chance we had to take.

"No, we're not," Edward said, allowing his parents to hold Charlie and Aaron for a moment. He slipped his arm around my waist and placed his hand on Thomas' back. "I pushed you both away because I couldn't let go of my anger. We love you both so much."

"Oh, my darling boy," Esme wept, placing her hand on the back of Charlie's head. "We love you, too."

"And we'll see you soon," Carlisle said, laughing. "Halloween isn't that far away and we aren't going to miss their first one. Just be safe, okay? Don't speed, and take your time?"

"We will, Dad," Edward said, wrapping his arms around his father.

Releasing each other, Edward turned to his mother, hugging her quickly before taking Charlie and Aaron back into his arms. I could barely take a breath before I felt my parent-in-laws hugging me and Thomas. It was a moment of deja vue, one that I had to remind myself that wasn't going to have the same outcome. I wouldn't lose them — not again.

"Call us when you get there," Esme whispered, kissing my temple before releasing me and stepping away from me. This moment was harder than she expected, I could tell, but she was trying to stay strong. So was I. Trying and quickly failing.

"Bella," Carlisle started, pulling my attention to him, "thank you for making my son happy again, for not giving up when life got hard, and fighting for your boys."

"Oh, Carlisle," I whispered, shaking my head. "You're welcome, I guess. I should be thanking you for taking the job here in New York, and bringing the boys back to me."

"If I'd known, I would have been here sooner," he said. Leaning in, he kissed my forehead. "Love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too . . . Dad," I barely whispered, the last word getting caught in my throat. Carlisle may not be my father, but right now, he was my dad.

Choking back a sob, he nodded and stepped over next to Esme, wrapping his arms around her and holding her while they cried together. Tears burned my eyes as I walked over and joined Edward, who was standing with Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. The four of them already had tearstains down their faces, which didn't help the guilt I already felt for leaving.

"So, I guess this is it," I murmured.

"Yeah," Emmett echoed, nodding his head. "Your tires are good? And, um, you've got a full tank of gas?"

"Yeah, I checked everything this morning," Edward said, balancing the babies in his arms.

"Good, good," Emmett muttered. Sighing, he looked from his little brother to me. "You have room in that new house of your for us?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No, sorry. Pretty sure these boys are going to be taking up all our free space."

Emmett almost smiled that time. "Probably."

"Guess that means we'll have to stay at the bed and breakfast when we come up to visit, right?" Alice asked, her voice tight and I knew she was trying to keep the panic from lacing her words.

"Yeah, it's tradition for you," I giggled. Sighing, I frowned. "I'm gonna miss you guys so much."

"Us too, B," Rose whimpered. Taking a deep breath, she stepped over to me and wrapped her arms around me. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ro," I whispered, hugging her back.

No sooner was she out of my arms before Alice took her place. Burying her face in the side of my neck, her body shook with the tears that she'd been trying to so hard to keep from falling.

"Oh, my sweet, Ali," I murmured. "It's gonna be okay."

"I know," she cried. "I'm just being silly." Pulling back from me, she attempted to wipe the tears off of her face. "Maybe I can blame it on hormones."

"Yeah, maybe . . ." I paused and looked from her to Jasper, who was beaming with pride, and back to Alice. "Hormones? Like pregnancy hormones?"

She nodded, grinning like a fool. "Just found out this morning."

"Oh, Ali," I whimpered. "You're gonna be a good mom."

"I hope so." Alice smiled. "We love you, B. Take care of your boys, including E."

"Hey, I don't need taking care of!" Edward exclaimed, causing Charlie and Aaron to squeak. I glared at him. "Okay, maybe I do."

"No kidding," I scoffed, shaking my head and looking over at Alice, who was nestled in Jasper's arms. "I'm happy for you. I can't tell you how amazing it is having a child. Tiring and overwhelming at time, but amazing."

"Yeah, but you went for all or nothing," Jasper snickered. "Three babies at once."

"Yeah, I guess we did," I laughed. "J . . ."

"I know. You love me." He smirked.

"I do," I said, sincerely. "I really do."

Jasper pulled away from Alice and carefully wrapped his arms around me and Thomas. Pressing his lips against the top of my head, he whispered, "I once promised that I'd come back for you, and I didn't keep my word. But now, I'm going to make you a new promise. I promise to love Ali, and to be the best father I can be to our baby."

"You'd better, or I'll have to come back to New York and kick your ass," I whispered, sliding my arm around his waist. "You'll always be one of my boys."

"You bet your ass I will," he murmured.

The moment Jasper released me, I found myself in the strong arms of Emmett. His body was shaking, telling me more than any words would ever be able to. Turning, I kissed his cheek and whispered, "I love you, Em. Take care of Ro for me, okay?"

"Okay," he murmured, nodding. "I love you, too, B."

Edward shifted Charlie and Aaron into Rose and Alice's arms before he, Emmett, and Jasper stepped away from us. I understood. They needed a moment together, just the three of them. Alice and Rose held the boys while I got Thomas strapped into his carseat. Once he was content, I did the same with Charlie and Aaron. By the time I had the boys loaded, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were back. We hugged everyone once more before we climbed into the van and pulled into New York traffic.

Five hours later, Edward drove past the city limit sign in Arlington, Vermont. We'd had to stop a couple of times to feed and change the boys. They didn't care for the long road trip. Leaving our family standing on the sidewalk in front of James' diner was the hardest moment of my life. I knew it wasn't goodbye, but my heart still ached.

"Look, there's the house," Edward said, and I followed his finger, finding him pointing at the house we'd bought a month ago after Renee came back with a glowing report.

"Wow," I breathed as Edward pulled up in front. The small, Victorian style house was white with red shutters and a large, wrap around porch. Smiling, I looked over at Edward. "Remind you of anything?"

"I was just thinking that," he chuckled. "Our houses in Forks."

"Yeah," I murmured. Taking a deep breath, I opened my car door. "Ready to go inside?"

Edward nodded. "More than ready."

We climbed out of the car and lifted the boys out of their car seats. Slowly, we walked up the front walk, up the front steps, and stopping outside of the door. Edward unlocked the door and pushed it open, motioning for me to take Thomas and Charlie inside. He followed with Aaron and we paused in the entryway and looked around.

"Welcome home, boys," I whispered; knowing today was the start of a new adventure with my boys.

***sighs* It's over. That's it, folks. It's been an amazing journey with these guys, long but amazing. I want to thank everyone who has been with me over the course of three stories, and those who are just now joining us. **


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